Precious Jewel
by whisperedwish3s
Summary: "Jason's gone. And I'll never get to tell him I love him face-to-face even for the last time." - Diana Kennedy. A story in which she mourns her first love but finds out that life has more to offer her and that this is not the end.
1. Full Summary

_**Diana Sapphire Kennedy**_

Before Jason and Polly, there was Jason and Sapphire. To everyone, there wasn't a match more perfect than theirs. They were endgame. Until one day, she left without a trace.

Fast forward to a year later and Jason Blossom is reported dead on July 4th. Diana comes back with a secret. She rekindles her friendship with the "sad breakfast club". And catches the eye of another male red-head. But with all the mystery, lies and secrets, she knows that Riverdale will never be the same again.


	2. Episode 1 - Return to Riverdale

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

* * *

 _Our story is about a town, a small town, and the people who live in the town. From a distance, it presents itself like so many other small towns all over the world. Safe, decent, innocent. Get closer though, and you start seeing the shadows underneath._

 _The name of our town is Riverdale. And our story begins, I guess with what the Blossom twins did this summer._

 _On the Fourth of July, just after dawn, Jason and Cheryl Blossom drove out to Sweetwater River for an early morning boat ride. The next thing we know happened for sure is that Dilton Doiley, who was leading Riverdale's Boy Scout Troop on a bird watching expedition, came upon Cheryl by the river's edge._

 _Riverdale Police dragged Sweetwater River for Jason's body, but never found it. So, a week later, the Blossom family buried an empty casket and Jason's death was ruled an accident, as the story that Cheryl told made the rounds. That Cheryl dropped a glove in the water, and Jason reached down to get it, and accidentally tipped the boat, and panicked, and drowned._

 _As for us, we were still talking about the "July Fourth tragedy" on the last day of summer vacation, when a familiar face rolled back into town._

 _ **Diana Sapphire Kennedy.**_

* * *

Diana stared up at Evergreen Manor as the butler unloaded the bags and carried them into the house.

"Welcome home, Di." Her twin brother, Daniel said as he put an arm around her and they both looked at the home they left behind for over a year.

"It doesn't feel like home anymore though, Dan." She said with a sigh.

"You'll get used to it again and it'll be just like the old times." He said optimistically.

"Jason's dead, Daniel. And nothing will ever be the same." She replied as she stepped forward and started walking towards the house.

Daniel sighed as he looked at his broken sister. He only wished that coming back to Riverdale would help _them_ heal.

 **(w**

"Are you excited? Nervous?" Kevin Keller asked his best friend, Betty Cooper as she got ready to hang out with her childhood best friend, Archie Andrews.

"Both. I haven't seen him all summer." Betty admitted.

"Which is why nerves are acceptable. But we agreed, Betty… It's time. You like him, he likes you." Kevin said as he tried to pep talk his friend into admitting her feelings for her childhood best friend.

"Well, they why, Kevin, hasn't he ever said or done anything?" Betty asked him.

"Because Archie's swell, but like most millennial straight guys, he needs to be told what he wants. So tell him, finally." Kevin explained as he got off Betty's bed and looked out the window to check if Archie was next door.

"Well, we'll see. I mean, it depends." Betty said as she looked at her reflection in the mirror one more time.

"Oh, my God!" Kevin cried out as he stared out the window.

"What?" Betty said, turning to face him.

"Game-changer. Archie got hot! He's got abs now." He exclaimed as Betty joined him to see for herself.

"Six more reasons for you to take that ginger bull by the horns tonight." He continued as they watched him change.

Pretty soon, Betty finished getting ready and Kevin left. She then made her way to Pop's Chock'lit Shop and met up with Archie.

"So, what was the highlight?" Archie asked as he and Betty sat across each other.

"Of my internship? The Toni Morrison book release party I organized, by far. At the end of the night, Toni Morrison, who is, as you know, my literary hero, says to me "Don't rush this time, Betty. It goes by so fast at your age. One summer can change everything."" Betty said as she recounted the highlight of her summer.

"Wow. That's so true." Archie couldn't agree more.

"How was working for your dad?" Betty asked him, trying to picture out how his summer went.

"It was… pouring concrete, every day, all day long. To pass time, I would start composing these poems, in my head. And at night, I'd go home, I'd write them down." Archie said before being cut-off.

"You don't even like reading poetry." Betty interrupted.

"They weren't poems, they were song lyrics. And working on them made me feel like…" Archie said, lost in thought as he remembered how good writing those songs made him feel.

"What, Archie?" Betty probed him to go on.

"It made me feel like I'd finally broken thorough to something real. About my life, and what I should be trying to do with it. Music. Starting this year, tomorrow." Archie declared.

"Amazing. Will you ask Ms. Grundy to tutor you?" Betty asked.

"I'm not sure, maybe." Archie replied hesitantly as he recalled what happened over the summer.

"What about football?" Betty asked again, they were in the zone now.

"I'll try out, at least."

"Well, have you told your dad?"

"No. Until I've got things more figured out, you're the only person I'm telling, okay?" Archie told her.

"Well, I'd love to hear them sometime. Your songs." Betty told him sweetly.

"Yeah?" Archie asked, excited that someone was interested in his new-found passion.

"Yes." Betty confirmed.

"Yeah, I'm finishing a couple of demos tonight." He said with a smile.

"Great. Also… I've been thinking about us, Archie, and our friendship, and how it's time we…" Betty started talking but stopped as she looked up and saw Archie no longer paying attention to her but to a raven-haired girl who just entered the shop.

"I called in an order, for Lodge?" The girl said as she stopped and talked to Pop right in front of their table.

"Two burgers, yeah, almost ready, but you gotta wait." Pop said as he walked passed them.

"Hi." The girl greeted the two teens sat in the booth in front of her.

"Hey." Archie greeted back.

"How are the onion rings here?" She asked as she saw what they were eating.

"So good." Archie exclaimed.

"Can we get some onion rings, too, please?" The raven-haired beauty called out to Pop who was getting her order ready.

"Yeah." Pop replied.

"Thanks." She said before turning back to face the two at the table.

"My mom and I just moved here…" She explained to them.

"From where?" Archie asked curiously.

"New York." She simply replied.

"Wow" Archie said, amazed that such a city girl would live in a small town like Riverdale.

"Do you guys go to Riverdale?" She asked them both.

"We do. Both of us, Together." Betty replied.

"We're juniors." Archie said at the same time.

"Me too. Veronica Lodge." She said, finally introducing herself.

"Archie Andrews. Uh, this is Betty Cooper." Archie said, shaking her hand and gesturing to Betty who gave her a smile and a nod.

"Wait, are you…" Veronica trailed off, the name seemingly familiar.

"Supposed to give you your tour tomorrow? Yes. I'm your peer mentor." Betty said with a smile.

"Do you wanna join us?" Archie asked and Veronica was about to answer when the bell rang, signaling people entering the establishment. The three teens looked at the blonde boy and girl who entered the shop.

"No way." Archie breathed out as he got a glimpse of the new comers.

"Are those?" Betty asked disbelievingly.

"Wait. Isn't that Daniel Kennedy?" Veronica asked as she looked at the guy whose face was in numerous advertisements and magazines.

"Yeah, and that's his sister, Diana Kennedy." Betty added as she looked at the blonde girl who looked spaced out.

"Wait, that's Diana? I thought she was raven-haired. Well, that was the hair color she had in that TV show before when she was still a kid." Veronica said as her attention transferred to the blonde girl as well.

They watched as Daniel put an arm around Diana and led her to a booth not far from theirs. Pretty soon, Pop approached the duo and Daniel ordered for them. Before Pop left though, he addressed Diana which made her look up and smile a sad smile as Pop tapped her on the shoulder. Her eyes roamed around the restaurant before landing on a certain redhead, their eyes connecting for a few moments before she looked down again.

"Uh, so, what about it? Maybe we can get to know more about you." Archie asked Veronica, diverting their attention back to the topic.

"My mom's waiting for me. But, to be continued." She said as she took her leave.

"What were you saying?" Archie asked Betty once Veronica was gone.

"Nothing." Betty said with a smile.

 **(WITH THE KENNEDY TWINS)**

"Dan, I don't really wanna be in public right now. I just wanna stay in my room and enjoy my last day of freedom alone." Diana said as she and Daniel waited for their orders to come.

"Come on, Di. Please do this for me. I know Jason wouldn't have wanted you to live like this. And besides, this isn't good for you or anyone at all." Daniel said as a waitress came and placed their orders in front of them.

"I just miss him," Diana said with a sigh, "Whenever I close my eyes, I can't help but recall all the memories we had together. I just really can't believe he's gone." She continued, trying to stop the tears from falling again.

Daniel sighed as he reached over and wiped his sister's tears for her.

"Don't worry. I'm here. You aren't gonna go through this alone. I'll protect you." He said as she was taken back into a memory at his words.

 _FLASHBACK:_

 _A 16-year-old Diana was cuddled up against a 17-year-old Jason. They were currently watching a scary movie. Well, Jason was watching while Diana spent majority of the time hiding her face behind a pillow or on Jason's chest._

" _It isn't even one of the scary parts yet, Saph." Jason teased as he watched his girlfriend cower behind her pillow._

" _Well, you never know with movies like thi-EEP!" She screamed as she saw the horrific scene when she peeked out from behind the pillow._

 _Jason laughed at her._

" _Don't worry. I'm here. I'll always protect you." He said as he brought her closer to him._

" _You promise?" She said as she looked up at him._

" _I promise." He swore before sealing it with a kiss._

 _Too bad promises were made to be broken as she and her brother left Riverdale 2 weeks after that without even saying goodbye._

 _END FLASHBACK_

Diana came out of her reverie. Daniel noticed this.

"You okay?" He asked her to make sure.

"I'm fine. Thank you for being there for me all the time, Dan." She said with a small smile.

"You're my sister. The only other family member I have left. Not only would mom and dad want me to, Derrick told me too as well. And besides, I love taking care of you. You're our precious Jewel." He said with a smile and Diana couldn't help but smile back at the nickname.

\- TIME SKIP: (THE NEXT DAY) -

Diana's restless sleep was disturbed when someone entered her room.

"Miss Kennedy, Miss Blossom is-" One of the maids tried to inform her but was interrupted.

"Is right here, moron. You can scram now." Cheryl said as she entered the room and plopped on the edge of Diana's bed.

Diana groaned as she sat up.

"What are you doing here this early?" She asked Cheryl who was looking around the room she hadn't been in in a year.

"Well, today's the first day of school and I missed you. You didn't even text me to tell me you arrived back yesterday." Cheryl said as Diana got up and went inside her walk-in closet.

"We were busy unpacking, Cher." Diana said as she exited the closet and went inside the bathroom, leaving the door open so she could still hear Cheryl as they talked.

"A simple, "I'm back home" would have sufficed." Cher replied as Diana started the shower.

There was silence between the two of them as Cheryl waited for Diana to finish. Once she was done, she stepped out fully dressed from the bathroom with her hair wrapped in a towel.

"Di, I got something for you." Cher said as Diana started putting light make-up on.

"What is it?" Diana said as she looked at Cheryl from the mirror.

"I found it in Jason's room. It was addressed to you." Cheryl said as she searched her bag and found a medium sized envelope and handed it over to Diana who had turned around to face her.

Diana sat beside Cheryl on the bed as she opened the envelope and pulled out a letter first. She began reading.

 _My Dearest Sapphire,_

 _I know I never told you this but when you left Riverdale, you took a part of my heart with you. You left without as much as a goodbye and it hurt me to think that I meant so little for you to be able to just leave me like that._

 _As you know, I tried to move on and started dating Polly Cooper but in the end, she and I didn't work out and we both agreed to remain good friends. I felt like you were haunting me. Everywhere I looked, it was like I could see your face even though I knew you were miles away._

 _And then, a few months ago, you contacted Cheryl and it wasn't until a month later that contacted me as well and we rebuilt the relationship that was broken. Though you were far apart, the hundred miles never felt so far because I knew that you would always be in my heart. We forgave each other for the mistakes we made. You for leaving without a goodbye and me for dating Polly and I felt like, for the first time in a while, things were finally back on track._

 _We've known each other since we were little kids and though we didn't get together until my freshman year, I knew I loved you even before then. Most probably on the day we first met back in pre-school. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I've loved you for a better part of 10 years and the news you told me has made me love you even more._

 _Diana Sapphire Kennedy, will you do me the honors of being my wife?_

 _I promise to love you each and every day as the years go by. If your answer's yes, your engagement ring, along with our wedding rings, is inside this envelope. Please hold on to it until I can get out of this town and away from my parents. I can't wait to make you my wife._

 _PS. These rings may be priceless but you'll always be my most precious jewel._

 _I'll see you soon._

 _Jason_

Tears fell down Diana's face as she tipped the envelope over and three rings fell out. One was a Cinderella-style engagement ring. It was a white-gold ring with a cushion-cut blue topaz stone in the middle surrounded by 2 layers of aquamarine gems and the band was covered in white sapphire gemstones. Engraved on the inside of the ring was 'So this is love…'. The other 2 rings were white-gold as well. The more feminine one's band was shaped into infinity symbols with diamonds and a gold infinity symbol in the center while the masculine one was all white-gold and only had one infinity symbol with no diamonds.

Diana touched the rings and let out a loud sob as Cheryl, who was also in tears, tried to comfort her.

"Jason…" She cried as she clutched the rings to her chest.

"Diana, are you alright." Daniel came running in the room and saw both girls crying. Cheryl handed him the letter and once he read it, sat down beside the girls and comforted his sister.

"I would have gladly said yes." Diana cried out.

Pretty soon she started to calm down and silently stood up. Cheryl and Daniel watched her as she went over to her dresser and grabbed a silver necklace chain. She put the wedding rings on there and was about to put in the engagement ring as well when she placed it on her finger instead. She placed the necklace around her neck and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

'Jase, you'll always be in my heart.' She thought as her fingers touched both the rings hanging on her neck. She sighed deeply, closing her eyes to calm herself down before putting on her make-up again as Cheryl and Daniel watched her carefully.

"Di, what did my brother mean by the news you told him?" Cheryl questioned curiously.

Diana finished doing her make-up before turning back to face her brother and one of her best friends.

"Cher, the reason we left is because…"

\- MEANWHILE (AT SCHOOL) -

"So, I usually start of my tours with a little history and context. Riverdale High first opened its doors in 1941 and" Betty started her tour of Riverdale with Veronica when she interrupted.

"And hasn't been redecorated since, apparently. Honestly, I feel like I'm wandering through the lost epilogue of Our Town." She commented as she looked around the hallway.

"Uh-huh." Betty didn't know what to say.

"So, what's the social scene like here? Any night clubs?" Veronica asked.

"A strip club called the Ho Zone and a tragic gay bar called Innuendo. Friday nights, football games and then tailgate parties at the Mallmart parking lot. Saturday nights is movie night, regardless of what's playing at the Bijou, and you better get there early, because we don't have reserved seating in Riverdale. And Sunday nights… Thank God for HBO." A guy who suddenly appeared, summarized.

"Veronica Lodge, Kevin Keller. Veronica's new here. Kevin is" Betty introduced and was cut-off.

"Gay. Thank God. Let's be best friends." Veronica said as they shook hands.

"Is it true what they say about your dad?" Kevin gossiped.

"That he's the devil incarnate? I stand by my father. Does everyone here know?" Veronica asked and although no one answered, she could already tell from the looks Betty and Kevin gave her.

"Wonderful. Ten minutes in and I'm already the Blue Jasmine of Riverdale High." Veronica exclaimed as she turned down another hallway.

Betty gave Kevin a look before following Veronica.

"What?" Kevin asked, clueless, as he followed both girls.

Betty continued the tour of all the classrooms and facilities that the school had to offer. Pretty soon, they were walking towards the gym where the assembly was going to happen.

"Oh, and of course there's the Back-to-School semiformal dance this weekend." Betty told her as they rounded a hallway. Veronica looked up and saw Archie.

"There's the hottie we were with last night. The red-headed Ansel Elgort. Is he your boyfriend?" Ronnie wondered out loud and heard 2 replies simultaneously.

"No, he's straight."

"No, we're just friends." Came from Kevin and Betty respectively.

"In that case, mind putting in a word? I've tried every flavor of boy but orange." Veronica said as they started moving forward again.

"Actually, to clarify, Betty and Archie aren't dating, but they are endgame." Kevin clarified.

"You should ask him to the semiformal then." Ronnie told Betty.

"She should, but I heard it might be getting canceled. Because of what happened to Jason. They're gonna tell us at the assembly." Kevin informed them.

"Who's Jason and what happened to him?" Veronica asked the both of them.

 **(WITH THE KENNEDYS AND CHERYL)**

Daniel parked the car beside Cheryl's own vehicle and Cheryl immediately opened the front seat and sat inside. Both of them looked at Diana, who was seated at the back seat, staring at the school, lost in thought while playing with the rings on her necklace.

"Di, we're here." Daniel informed his sister who snapped out of her reverie and smiled a little back at him.

"Yeah, we are." She quietly said.

"Do you guys already have your schedules? Or do you want me to go with you to the office?" Cheryl asked the twins.

"It's cool. They emailed it to us before-hand." Daniel said with a smile.

He got out of the car and Cheryl followed suit. Every student present stopped what they were doing and turned their heads towards the car, seeing Daniel Kennedy exit and open the backseat. Diana took a deep breath as Daniel opened her car door before taking his outstretched hand and exiting the vehicle.

"Di, at the assembly today, I'm saying a few words in about Jason. Would you like to say something as well?" Cheryl asked her.

"No, Cher. You go ahead and do it. Just remember that we've got your back and losing Jason doesn't mean you have to be alone." Diana told her with a smile.

They entered the school and went to the gym where they were ushered to seats up front a little further away from the other teachers. Pretty soon, students started piling in and not long after, the assembly began. It was Cheryl's turn to speak.

"Thank you for that moment of silence. Many of you were lucky enough to have known my brother personally. Each and every one of you meant the world to Jason. I loved my brother. He was and always will be my soulmate. So, I speak with the confidence only a twin could have. Jason wouldn't want us to spend the year mourning. Jason would want us to move on with our lives. Which is why I've asked the School Board not to cancel the Back-to-School semiformal." Cheryl said and people cheered before she continued.

"But rather, to let us use it as a way to heal, collectively, and celebrate my brother's too, too short life on this mortal coil. Thank you all." She said before stepping off the stage.

She was met by Diana and Daniel who both enveloped her into a hug.

"I know Jase would have been proud of what you're doing right now, Cher. We're all proud." Diana said as they continued the hug.

 **(WITH ARCHIE)**

As soon as the assembly was over, he hesitantly approached Ms. Grundy, the music teacher.

"Ms. Grundy" He called out as he saw her walking away but she paid him no mind until he said her real name.

"Geraldine." She stopped and turned to him.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Andrews?" She asked a bit seductively.

"Can we talk, Ms. Grundy, please?" He told her.

"It depends. About what?" She asked.

"Music. You're the music teacher. Can we talk about music?" He asked her.

"Of course. Make an appointment. During my office hours, my official office hours." She said in a whisper as she walked away from him and it sent shivers down Archie's spine in a bad way.


	3. Episode 1 - A Day of School

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **Things between Archie and Ms. Grundy will happen very differently.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome.**_

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (LUNCH PERIOD) -

 **(WITH DIANA)**

Most of the day passed by with people staring and whispering about her to each other and Diana was tired of it. It was now lunch time and she decided not to go outside and eat lunch but rather go to the music room and be alone with her thoughts. She took out her phone to text Cheryl and her brother before heading to the music room.

When she got there, it was empty, which was a good thing because she really couldn't take more people staring at her like some kind of ghost. She sat at the piano and started playing random notes, trying to get used to the feeling of playing again. After a few more notes and making sure the piano was well tuned, she started playing a song that expressed what she was feeling that time.

 _(Play: Human|| Christina Perri)_

" _I can hold my breath_

 _I can bite my tongue_

 _I can stay awake for days_

 _If that's what you want_

 _Be your number one_

 _I can fake a smile_

 _I can force a laugh_

 _I can dance and play the part_

 _If that's what you ask_

 _Give you all I am_

 _I can do it_

 _I can do it_

 _I can do it_

 _But I'm only human_

 _And I bleed when I fall down_

 _I'm only human_

 _And I crash and I break down_

 _Your words in my head, knives in my heart_

 _You build me up and then I fall apart_

 _'Cause I'm only human, yeah_

 _I can turn it on_

 _Be a good machine_

 _I can hold the weight of worlds_

 _If that's what you need_

 _Be your everything_

 _I can do it_

 _I can do it_

 _I'll get through it_

 _But I'm only human_

 _And I bleed when I fall down_

 _I'm only human_

 _And I crash and I break down_

 _Your words in my head, knives in my heart_

 _You build me up and then I fall apart_

 _'Cause I'm only human, yeah_

 _I'm only human_

 _I'm only human_

 _Just a little human_

 _I can take so much_

 _Until I've had enough"_ She was doing good up until this point when her emotions took over and her voice cracked a little at the end, but she pushed on.

"' _Cause I'm only human_

 _And I bleed when I fall down_

 _I'm only human_

 _And I crash and I break down_

 _Your words in my head, knives in my heart_

 _You build me up and then I fall apart_

' _Cause I'm only human, yeah"_ After she played the last note, she heard applause from the door behind her.

"Wow" A male voice said and she immediately stiffened and turned back to see who it was.

 **(AT THE SAME TIME WITH VERONICA)**

Ronnie was walking down a set of stairs and she paused to decide where she would be sitting. She finally settled her eyes on Betty, Kevin and Archie's table and she took a deep breath before walking towards them.

"Can I join?" She asked as she reached their table and whatever music coming from Archie's laptop stopped as he closed it.

"Yeah," Betty replied, gesturing to the seat in front of her and beside Kevin.

"What are we doing?" She asked as she set her food tray down.

"Listening to one of Archie's songs." Betty replied with a bit of a dreamy tone as she looked at Archie.

"I thought we were going to have to pretend to like it, but it's actually really good." Kevin admitted to Archie.

"Wait, that was you singing? Something you wrote?" Ronnie asked in an amazed tone.

"It's rough." Archie nodded.

"No, it's great." Betty told him.

"It's incredible, actually, the little snippet I heard. Is that your thing? Music? Are you doing something with that?" Ronnie asked looking at him interestingly.

"Yeah, that's the plan. So, how's your first day going? Good?" Archie confirmed and asked Ronnie.

"Not to be a complete narcissist, but I thought people would be more-" Ronnie started saying when Kevin cut in.

"Obsessed with you? Any other year, you'd be trending number one, for sure. This year, though, it's all about Cheryl trying to win the Best Supporting Psycho Oscar for her role as Riverdale High's bereaved Red Widow and the return of Riverdale's Celebrity Twin Duo." Kevin sassed and all eyes turned to Cheryl who was making her way to their table.

"Hey, I should go. I got that meeting with Grundy and then football tryouts, so." Archie said as he stood up to leave.

"You play football, too? What don't you do?" Ronnie said impressed as she watched Archie leave.

 **(WITH ARCHIE)**

He sat with Ms. Grundy in an empty classroom as she listened to his songs through earbuds.

"They're very real, very personal." She commented as she took the earbuds out.

"I took your advice and wrote them down. Polished them. But I was wondering if you could help me." Archie started and was interrupted.

"With what, Archie? Ms. Grundy seductively asked as she went to move closer to him.

"You went to Julliard, Ms. Grundy. There is no one else in Riverdale I can take lessons from. Believe me, I've looked." Archie uncomfortable said.

"Well, I think that's a good idea. I think, we should be alone together. If this is you trying to accept my offer from last summer, then-" Ms. Grundy stated as she placed her hand on Archie's arm and ran it up and down.

"No, it's not. It's about the music. Ms. Grundy, didn't I already tell you, no, over the summer? This was a mistake, I shouldn't have come here in the first place. I think I should look for someone else to pursue my music with." He stated as he grabbed his phone and backpack and left Ms. Grundy alone in the classroom.

He was slowly walking towards the locker rooms when he heard a beautiful voice singing. He stopped outside the music room and peered inside. There, he saw Diana Kennedy playing the piano and singing. He slowly opened the door and waited until she finished before clapping.

"Wow." Was all he could say as he was blown away by the performance.

"Archibald? What are you doing here?" Diana asked as she tried not to freak out that someone had caught her emotional moment.

"Is that how you treat one of your best friends?" Archie said with a little pout which made Diana smile a little.

"I'm sorry, Arch. I missed you." Diana replied before going over to hug Archie who hugged her back just as tight.

"I missed you too, Di. Why were you gone?" He asked her as she pulled away and looked up at him.

"I can't tell you yet. For safety reasons." She said as she placed both her hands on each side of Archie's face and moved it from side to side.

"Look at you, you're so grown up now. I remember you being the same height as me at the very least." She said with a little laugh and Archie grinned as he placed his hands, on top of hers before removing it from his face.

He felt something on her left hand and let it go to see the ring Jason left her. He ran his hands across it.

"Is this?" Archie asked looking at her as she just nodded.

"He was gonna ask me to marry him." Was all she gave as an explanation.

Archie just looked down at her while she was admiring the ring as he still held her left hand but before Archie could reply, however, Diana's phone rang, interrupting their moment.

"Sorry, I gotta take this." She said as Archie let her hand go and she went over to her bag and answered the call.

"Hello?" Archie could distinguish a female voice on the other line before Diana spoke again.

"Wait, Cher, slow down. You want me to, what?" She replied before the voice from the other end started talking.

"But, Cher. I really don't wanna be on the cheerleading team this year." Diana said but apparently, the voice argued back because she sighed in resignation.

"Fine, fine. But remember, you owe me." Was her reply before ending the call.

Diana looked at Archie who still stood there, not knowing what to do.

"Sorry, Arch. But, cheerleading tryouts are this week and apparently, Cher wants me to be on the team again. And besides, don't you have football tryouts to worry about, as well?" She said as she gathered her stuff and picked up her bag.

"Let me. Can I walk you to the gym?" Archie said as he took her bag and started walking out the music room with her.

"I'd be honored." Diana said with a smile.

\- TIMESKIP (CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS || GYMNASIUM) -

Diana, Cheryl and her two minions/friends were seated in front of the people trying out for the team. Diana was not paying attention and was playing a game on her phone. She only perked up when she saw Veronica and Betty walking in.

"Names?" Cheryl called out in a bored tone as if she didn't already know who they were.

"Veronica Lodge"

"Elizabeth Cooper" Ronnie and Betty said respectively.

"Okay, you may begin." Cheryl said and Diana paid close attention to the two.

"We're blue! And gold! We're dynamite! We'll take you down, and fight the fight! Whoo! Go, Bulldogs!" Both chanted, going through the motions together.

"Hmm. Ladies, where's the heat? Where's the sizzle?" Cheryl called out in an unimpressed tone.

"Well, you haven't seen our big finish yet." Ronnie said before she pulled Betty into a kiss.

"Nice one." Diana whispered under her breath with a small smile on her face.

"Check your sell-by date, ladies, faux lesbian kissing hasn't been taboo since 1994. So, let's see if you do better with the interview portion of our audition." Cheryl said as she looked at both girls.

"Betty, how's your sister doing?" Cheryl asked, her dislike for the older Cooper showing through.

"Um, Polly's fine, thanks for asking." Betty simply said, having an inkling as to where this was heading.

"Veronica, has Betty told you about her sister yet?" She asked Ronnie.

"Uh, no." Ronnie simply replied and Diana had a feeling trouble was brewing.

"Go ahead, Betty. Tell Veronica about your sister and my dear brother." Cheryl ordered her.

"Polly and Jason dated." Betty admitted to Ronnie and it still stung Diana a little to hear it out loud.

"I wouldn't say "dated". In respect to my dearest Diana here, Jason was heartbroken over her leaving when your crazy sister seduced him." Cheryl said.

"Cher, stop." Diana whispered harshly to her but she either didn't hear or didn't listen.

"It didn't end well." Betty explained, ignoring what Cheryl was saying.

"In fact, Jason's probably why your sister had a nervous breakdown and now lives in a group home, isn't it? She couldn't handle the fact that my brother broke up with her and still loved Di?" Cheryl pushed, trying to make Betty angry.

"Cheryl!" Diana said again, warning her to stop it.

"That's what my parents think." Betty replied.

"What do you have to say about that, Betty? Go ahead, the floor is yours. Whatever you've been dying to spew about Jason and how he treated Polly, unleash it. Destroy me. Tear me a new one. Rip me to shreds. Annihilate me." Cheryl taunted Betty and Diana couldn't take it anymore and stood up angrily from her seat.

"Can you please stop this bullshit? Don't bring Jase into this." She angrily said before walking out the gym.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened to Jason. I can't even imagine what you, your family, Daniel and Diana must be going through." Betty answered.

"Right." Cheryl whispered as she felt guilty about not thinking about how this would have made Diana feel.

"Veronica, welcome to the River Vixens. Betty, better luck next time." She continued.

"Wait, what? Why?" Ronnie complained.

"Because you couldn't bully Betty into being a bitch?" Ronnie questioned her.

"I need girls with fire on my squad." Cheryl defended.

"I know what you need, Cheryl, because I know who you are. You would rather people fear than like you, so, you traffic in terror and intimidation. You're rich, so you've never been held accountable, but I'm living proof. That certainty, that entitlement you wear on your head like a crown? It won't last. Eventually, there will be a reckoning. Or, maybe that reckoning is now. And maybe, that reckoning is me. Betty and I come as a matching set. You want one, you take us both. You wanted fire? Sorry, Cherylbombshell, my specialty's ice." Veronica stated as she threatened Cheryl and her gang.

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER CHEER TRYOUTS || GIRLS LOCKER ROOM) -

Diana entered the locker room and saw Ronnie zipping Betty's cheer uniform up.

"Perfect. Very Betty Draper, season 1." Ronnie told Betty as the two girls giggled.

Diana smiled at how happy Betty looked.

"It suits you." She spoke and the two turned to face her questioningly.

"That uniform. It fits you both perfectly. You'll be good additions to the River Vixens." Diana continued, smiling at both girls.

"Thanks, Di. And I'm sorry… about Jason." Betty replied and Diana smiled sadly before shaking of her gloomy mood and addressing them again.

"Thank you. You girls care to walk with me?" She offered and both girls nodded.

"I'll just go grab my stuff." Di said before leaving for a while, leaving Ronnie and Betty to talk.

"Why did… Why did you defend me? I know the crowd you ran with in New York. Why are you being so… nice?" Betty asked her.

"I'd like to know the answer to that myself." They hadn't noticed Diana come back and was staring at them curiously.

The three girls started walking out the school and Ronnie started talking.

"When my father got arrested, it was the worst thing ever. All these trolls started writing horrible things about us. We'd get letters and e-mails saying that my dad was a thief, my mom was a clueless socialite, and that I was the spoiled rich-bitch ice princess. And what hurt the most about it was… The things the trolls were writing were true. I was like Cheryl. I was worse than Cheryl. So, when my mom said we were moving to Riverdale, I made a pact with myself to use this as an opportunity to become maybe, hopefully, a better version of myself." Ronnie explained to both girls who were listening intently.

"That's a lot of pressure." Betty said and a moment of silence happened before she started talking again.

"When Polly and Jason got together, it meant everything to her and not that much to him. And things got super intense and weird and my mom turned on Polly. Said Polly wasn't her daughter anymore, said all these awful things to her. Jason hurt Polly, but she told me she was fine and they were friends. I think it was my mom who broke her." Betty said and Diana couldn't help but feel sorry not only for Polly but also for Betty, who used to be one of her best friends.

"I'm sorry that Jason hurt Polly because of me. If it were up to me, I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt. But I loved Jason. And although leaving was the best solution to my dilemma at that time, I always felt like there was an empty void I left behind here in Riverdale. When I'd heard from Cheryl that Jason had started dating Polly, I didn't wanna get in the way. It took me another month just to be able to talk to him again. I didn't plan on breaking them up or us getting back together. But, no matter how hard I tried, the heart wants what it wants. Jason told me that he and Polly had broken up but remained friends and that he was still in love with me. We got back together. I'd made plans to come back because I couldn't bear to be away from him anymore. But, now he's gone. And I'll never get to tell him I love him face-to-face even for the last time." Diana explained as she tried to hold her tears.

Betty sighed sadly and the three girls hugged in the middle of the school track.

"I don't blame you for any of this, Di. Frankly, I don't believe Polly had a mental breakdown over Jason. She cried when they broke up, yes, but she was fine afterwards. I mean, I don't even know where my parents took her." Betty told the girls.

Ronnie and Diana just looked at their friend sadly but Ronnie perked up when she saw Archie running on the field.

"Archie." Ronnie called out which made Di and Betty look in the same direction she was.

"You're so doing this." Ronnie told Betty as Diana looked on confused.

"What?" Betty didn't have a clue as well.

"Slaying your dragons, Betty Cooper, one by one." Ronnie replied as Diana's phone rang.

"Excuse me for a minute, I gotta take this." She said in a rush as she walked a little way away before speaking into her phone.

"Hi, Teen Outlander." Ronnie greeted Archie cheerfully.

"Hey. Nice outfits." Archie commented, gesturing to their cheerleading uniforms.

"Betty here has something to ask you about the Back-to-school dance. Go on, Betty, ask." Ronnie said as she looked at Betty with a look that said 'you are so doing this'.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come with the three of us." Betty offered as Diana had made her way back to the group that time.

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Did I miss anything?" Came three very confused replies from Archie, Ronnie and Diana respectively.

"It's your first dance at Riverdale, Ronnie. And, it's your first dance since you came back, Di. You girls should have someone to go with, even if it's just a friend." Betty explained.

"I'm pretty sure that's what Daniel is for. But, I'm not even sure if I'm going. Something came up. But, you guys should have fun." Diana offered.

"I mean, I'd love to." Ronnie finally said.

"I'm not really in the headspace for a dance." Archie confessed.

"Oh. That's okay." Betty accepted his reasoning but Diana shook her head.

"Unacceptable. Archibald Andrews, you have 2 beautiful girls willing to go with you to the dance and you turn them down? Any guy would love to be in your shoes." Diana teased him as she bumped her hip against his.

"Take a break from being a tortured musical genius and come spend a blissful evening with not one, but two newly-minted River Vixens and a just returned professional one." Ronnie said as she grabbed both Betty and Diana's arms and smiled at him.

"Nope. Just these two, right here." Diana said as she escaped from Ronnie's grip.

"You sure you don't wanna come with us?" Betty asked her with a pout.

"Well, not a hundred percent sure yet. But, if I do go, it'll most likely be with Daniel and maybe Cher." Diana answered.

"Anyways, Arch, you should totally accept their generous offer." She continued, looking back at Archie who was already looking at her.

"We'll text you time and place." Ronnie provided.

"Okay. Yeah, okay." Archie answered as he chuckled.

"Diana! I'll go wait for you by the car." A voice called out as they all turned to see Daniel waving at them before walking towards the parking lot.

"That's my queue. Gotta go guys. If I make it this weekend, you'll know if you see me." She said as she blew them a kiss before walking away.

"Well, I guess that's it then. Bye." Archie said as he walked away.

"Bye." Betty shyly replied.

Both girls walked together for a while before heading their separate ways.

\- TIMESKIP (ANDREWS' RESIDENCE) -

Archie was sitting on his porch, playing his guitar and working on his new song when his dad approached him.

"I, um, I got a call from your coach today. He's under the impression that you can't play varsity football because I'm making you work for me. Which is odd, because you made it seem like you couldn't work for me because you were playing football. So, my first question is… who are you lying to? Me or your coach?" Fred Andrews calmly asked his son.

"Neither." Archie replied, looking at him before sighing defeatedly.

"Both." He confessed.

"Dad, I want to study music. I want to write music." He supplied.

"Football takes you to college. College takes you to business school. Business school" Fred explained but got cut off.

"Takes me back here. To work for you in Riverdale." Archie answered him.

"Not for me, with me. And eventually for yourself, son. The company would be yours." Fred told him.

"No disrespect, dad, but I don't want it." Archie honestly said.

"Three months ago, you did. What happened?" Fred asked him.

"I've changed. Everything's changed. This summer…" Archie couldn't explain to his dad what happened between him and Ms. Grundy before he got the wits to tell her no.

"This summer what?" Fred urged him to continue but Archie remained silent.

"That's it? We don't talk anymore?" Fred said when Archie said nothing.

"Dad." He tried his best to make his dad understand without even saying anything.

"I would never force you to play football. I don't care if you play football. And you don't have to work for me, ever again. But some advice, man-to-man? These decisions that you're making now, son, they have consequences. They go on to form who you are and who you'll become. Whatever you decide, be confident enough in it that you don't have to lie." Fred said his piece before walking away.

 **(WITH DIANA AND DANIEL)**

The two were driving home and Daniel was happy to see his sister happier than the past few weeks.

"Did you have a good day?" Daniel asked her as he glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Yeah. I mean, I didn't wanna admit it at first but I missed Riverdale and I missed my friends." Diana answered with a small smile.

"Well, did you tell them why you left?" Daniel asked her.

"No, I mean, I don't think now is a good time for anyone to know. Wouldn't it be dangerous?" Diana asked her brother.

"Di, the three of us talked about this. Derrick said that it was perfectly okay for you to tell whoever you wanted. You're our little sister. Our precious jewel. We'll always protect you." Daniel told her as they entered the gates of Kennedy Estate.

Diana smiled sadly at the familiar words as she remembered who usually spoke them.

"I will tell them when the time is right." Diana informed her brother.

"Tell who what? And when?" Cheryl said as she entered Evergreen Manor behind the two.

Diana and Daniel just looked at her questioningly.

"What? I know Diana is going to look for a way to miss the dance and I am not allowing that to happen. Besides, I'm here to see my family." Was all she said.


	4. Episode 1 - When Hope Is Lost

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome.**_

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (SCHOOL DANCE = SCHOOL GYM) -

Archie, Veronica and Betty entered the gym and saw the different pictures and posters of Jason everywhere.

"Well, it's not the Met Ball." Ronnie said, a bit disappointed.

Archie continued to stare at Jason's poster and Betty noticed.

"Hey. When do you have to let coach Clayton, know about football?" She asked him and he stopped staring at the poster to look at her.

"This weekend." Was his reply.

"Guys, can't we just liberate ourselves from the tired dichotomy of jock/artist? Can't we, in this post James Franco world, be all things at once?" Ronnie asked them.

"I've been working on it, Veronica." Archie told her with a smile.

"Work faster. I'm getting punch. You got this." She whispered the last part to Betty before walking away.

"It's about following your heart, right? What does your heart say? Music or football?" Betty asked as she fixed his tie.

"Betty, will you give me one minute? And I promise, when I get back, I'll be a much better date, okay? I have a plan." Archie said as he turned his head and saw Diana in the arm of her brother and talking to a few other people.

Once he reached her, he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey. Don't panic, I'm not stalking you." He joked as Diana turned to face him.

"Oh, hey Arch." Di greeted him with a hug and Daniel gave him a fist bump.

"Uhh, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a while?" He asked her and she looked at Daniel for a moment before nodding and letting Archie lead her away.

"So, what did you wanna talk about?" Diana asked him.

"Well, I heard you, in the music room, right? And I never knew that you could play the piano or sing like that. I was wondering if you could listen to some of my songs and help me work on my music?" Archie propositioned.

Diana looked at him for a while before turning her head to look at the floor.

"Arch, any other time I would gladly help but-" She started to say but Archie cut her off.

"Please, Di. I promise I'll be the best student ever. And I'll owe you this." He said, wanting her to say yes so, he doesn't have to take lessons with Ms. Grundy.

Diana sighed deeply before answering.

"Yeah, sure, okay. But before that, there's something that you and the others have to know." She told him with a sad smile.

"That's great! And what is it?" Archie asked her and she shook her head in reply.

"Not tonight. I'll tell you when the time is right. So, enjoy your night." She said as she kissed his cheek and walked away.

Archie didn't notice, but his heart beat faster than normal.

 **(WITH DIANA)**

She walked back to where her brother was waiting for her alone as Cheryl went up the stage.

"Good evening, friends. Are you all having a good time?" Cheryl asked and got cheers as answers.

"As honorary chairperson and de facto queen of tonight's semiformal, it is my great pleasure to introduce this evening's main entertainment. To know them is to be obsessed with them. Though they usually perform their own material, tonight, they're making an exception and debuting a cover of the song my parents claim they were listening to the night Jason and I were conceived." Cheryl spoke and Diana face palmed.

"Oh, God." She said as she knew where this was headed.

"This one's for you, JJ. I give you Josie and the Pussycats." Cheryl introduced and the audience cheered.

The music started playing and Diana was red in the face from embarrassment.

"May I have this dance?" Daniel asked her sister but stopped when he saw how red she was.

"Please don't. I can't even. Look, that raven-haired girl by the punch table, that's Veronica Lodge. Go dance with her." Diana was talking fast, she just wanted to get out of there. Not only did the song bring back memories, everything, even the decorations, reminded her of Jason.

She tried her best to smile and make everyone see that she was doing fine so that no one worried too much. But, as much as she wants to say she's doing fine, she isn't. It still hurt a lot. The pain just doesn't go away overnight.

' _Now I know why you insisted on playing that song every time we did stuff. I miss you, Jase. I still wish you were here.'_ Diana thought as she sat on a bench outside school and played with the rings on her necklace. After about an hour more or less, she heard a voice behind her.

"There you are, I've been looking all over for you. Cheryl wants us to go to her after-party." Daniel said as he got to where she was sitting.

"You know we can't though. Let's just go home, I'm sure Cher will understand." Diana told him.

"Yeah, okay. And I have a question. What was with that song that made you so embarrassed?" He asked as they walked towards the car.

Diana just gave him a look.

"Oh, I had to ask."

"Yeahp."

\- TIMESKIP (HOURS LATER || EVERGREEN MANOR) -

Diana was asleep in her bed when Daniel rudely woke her up.

"Di, get up. Get up, Di. It's urgent." Hearing the serious tone in her brother's voice, she got up directly.

"What is it, Dan?" She asked and he looked at her almost painfully.

"They found Jason's body in the Sweetwater River today. He was shot." He explained cautiously, afraid of how his sister would react.

Diana hurriedly got out of bed and put on proper clothing.

"Di, calm down, please." Daniel said as his sister started sobbing uncontrollably.

"You don't understand, Daniel. How could this have happened? Cheryl said he drowned. I have to go see him. I have to make sure they didn't make a mistake." She said as she finished looking presentable and headed out the door, still in tears.

"Wait, you're in no state to drive. I'm coming with you." He said and they drove off to Sweetwater River together.

They got there just as the detectives were putting the body in a bag. They went over to where the Blossoms were.

"Diana, Daniel." Penelope Blossom greeted as she opened her arms for Diana to step in them. And she did.

"Is it really Jason? Please tell me it isn't him." She begged the Blossoms, tears streaming down her face again as Daniel brought her back into his arms at their nod of confirmation.

"No, no, no, no. Jason! Please! I just wanna see him, just let me. Please. Jason! Jason!" She cried out as the gurney passed by them and Daniel and Cheryl had to hold her back from throwing herself on top of the body bag.

She was hysterical now. Somehow, when she heard that he was dead but no body was found, she had hoped that he was still alive somewhere. But seeing as his dead body was being carted off to the morgue right at that moment? It broke her. She didn't know what she was supposed to do; didn't know if she could even find the strength to carry on, despite knowing she had people who loved her and were behind her 100%. Her Jason was gone. Taken away from her, before they even had the chance to live their lives together.

"Diana, please. Don't do this. Be strong. Don't do this to yourself." Daniel whispered into her ear.

Her brother was right. And with those words, Diana finally caved into the exhaustion and emotional drain that the event had brought.


	5. Episode 2 - The Start of Something New

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome.**_

* * *

 _I think many of us, maybe the entire town, had been hoping against hope that somehow Jason Blossom hadn't drowned on July 4_ _th_ _. That we'd come to school Monday morning, and there Jason would be. Or that we'd see him and Cheryl in a booth at Pop's._

 _But that was before the undeniable, irrevocable fact of his bloated, water-logged body, a corpse with a bullet hole in its forehead, and terrible secrets that could only be revealed by the cold, steel blade of a coroner's autopsy scalpel, or the telltale beating of a guilty heart._

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (SUNDAY EVENING || ANDREWS RESIDENCE) -

Archie rolled around in his bed, trying desperately to get some sleep, but to no avail. He picked up his phone and tried to text Betty, hoping that somehow, she would talk to him even though he broke her heart the day before. But, that wasn't the case. So, he decided to sneak out and visit the one person who's been on his mind since they found Jason's body. Diana.

He jogged his way to Evergreen Manor and snuck in the way he used to when he would go for late night visits and avoid the tight security of the Estate. He climbed up a rose trellis that was against a wall and beside a balcony. He then grabbed the balcony and hoisted himself upwards before cautiously entering the lighted bedroom.

"Andrews? What are you doing here?" It was Daniel who spoke up.

He was cuddled up with Diana who was also awake on her bed.

"Well, I was worried about Di. And I wanted to see how you were doing after the whole body finding incident." Archie confessed as he sat down on the edge of her bed.

"I'm fine, Arch. Thank you for the concern, but, you don't need to worry. Come sit." Diana replied as she patted the space on the other side of her and Archie took off his shoes before sitting back against the headboard on the right side of Diana.

"So, will you tell me about this thing that I and the others need to know about?" Archie asked her after a moment of silence.

"I'm not sure you guys will ever wanna talk to me after you find out the truth." Diana expressed as she shifted and cuddled up against Archie who also placed an arm around her.

"Is it that bad?" Archie joked and looked down at Diana who was already staring at him.

She was about to reply when a maid knocked on the door.

"Come in." Daniel said as he sat up and leaned against the headboard instead.

A maid came in and bowed to them before speaking up.

"I'm sorry to disturb you all but, Miss Kennedy, it's time." She informed before leaving.

Diana immediately sat up and started fixing her hair before getting off the bed and heading towards the door with Daniel behind her.

"Well, you wanted to know, right? I guess today is your lucky day." She informed him.

\- TIMESKIP (HOURS LATER || ANDREWS HOUSEHOLD) -

"Morning, Dad." Archie greeted as he stepped into the kitchen that morning.

"Hey, bud. Where'd you sneak off to last night?" His dad asked and Archie looked shocked.

"You, uh, heard that?" Archie retorted.

"Son, I've been hearing you sneak out since you were eight years old going to Jughead's tree house." Fred informed his son.

"I couldn't sleep. Went for a jog to tire myself out." Archie covered, not telling his father exactly where he had jogged off to.

"Yeah? Got something on your mind?" Fred was concerned.

"Just all this stuff with Jason." It was all Archie could say without sounding suspicious. He technically wasn't lying.

"No more midnight runs until the police catch whoever it was that shot that poor kid. I swear to God, this town." His dad told him and Archie couldn't say anything as he thought about how Jason's death had changed things in Riverdale.

He started getting ready for the day and was gathering his stuff for school when he heard the doorbell ring. He opened it and saw Betty on the other side.

"Walk me to school?" Betty asked him and he agreed, seeing as they needed to talk.

\- TIMESKIP (RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Classes were already starting when the principal made an announcement through the school's PA System.

"Good morning, students. This is your principal speaking. There have been many inquiries about the upcoming pep rally. So, let me state clearly, it is happening as scheduled. Now, on a less felicitous note, if you could give your attention to Sheriff Keller." Principal Weatherbee stated and there was a pause before a new voice started speaking,

"Most of you already know the details, but your classmate Jason Blossom's body was found late Saturday night. So, as of the weekend, Jason's death is now being treated as a homicide. It is an open and ongoing investigation." Sheriff Keller informed the student body.

"And may I interject, neither I nor my parents will rest until Jason's death is avenged, and his cold-hearted killer is walking the green mile to sit in Old Sparky and fry. I, for one, have my suspicions. #RiverdaleStrong." Cheryl's voice was heard.

"If you know anything that could help us find and apprehend Jason's killer, or anything about what happened to him on July 4th, come forward immediately. You can speak with me or Principal Weatherbee. A death like this, wounds us all. Let's not let Jason down." Sheriff Keller ended his announcement.

Archie was washing his face on one of the school's water fountains when Jughead approached him.

"Archie. Weirdest thing. This summer, we were supposed to go on a road trip over July 4th weekend. Which you bailed on at the last minute. Is there something you wanna tell me, pal?" Jughead asked him in a serious tone.

\- TIMESKIP (BIOLOGY PERIOD || BIOLOGY LAB) -

Students were out of their seats and lingering around as they waited for the teacher to come. We find Cheryl seated beside Diana who looked like she was deep in thought and Cheryl's two minions sitting at the desk, facing them.

"We were wondering, Cheryl. Back in July, you told the po-po that Jason drowned." One of them said before the other continued.

"Yet, we come to find out that Jason didn't drown. He was shot. That's slightly suspicious, no?" Diana had enough of their useless questions.

"Are you living mannequins suggesting that Cheryl had something to do with Jason's death? Just how sick and twisted are you?" She angrily replied.

"We're just curious. What do the police think happened?" The first girl asked.

"I'll tell you what I told them, which is that Jason did fall into the water. We both did. I made it to the shore. He didn't. Maybe he made it to the other side of the river and someone shot him there. Who knows?" Cheryl answered them, pissed as well. By then, the teacher entered the room.

"Seats, everyone. Pair off, gloves on, scalpels up." He instructed as he walked to his desk.

"Can I be with Diana?" Archie asked as he started walking towards her which made Diana stand.

"I'm gonna go pair off with Juggy. You can pair off with Cheryl, Arch. Laters." She said as she walked towards where Jughead sat.

"And I wanna be with Betty." Ronnie stated.

"Oh, uh, I was thinking I'd partner with Kevin." Betty told Ronnie.

"Actually, uh, Keller's with me. We like, talked." Moose said as he patted Kevin's shoulder and sat on another desk.

"Oh, God." Kevin exclaimed in mock horror.

Diana finally reached Jughead and spoke.

"Mind being my partner?" She asked him.

He looked at her before answering.

"Hmm. That depends. Are you suddenly gonna leave in the middle of the class without saying goodbye?" He retorted sarcastically but put his bag aside for her to sit anyways.

"Jug, I'm sorry I left without telling anyone. And I do owe you and everyone else an explanation, but not here. Maybe at Pop's tomorrow?" She offered with a hesitant smile.

"As long as you're paying, I guess." Jughead jokingly replied as he smiled at her and Diana smiled back.

"Welcome back, jewel. And I'm sorry about Jason." Jughead said as they started to work on the frog.

"Thank you, Juggy." Diana replied and they went on to working on the frog in comfortable silence for the rest of the period.

\- TIMESKIP (LUNCH PERIOD = OUTSIDE SCHOOL) -

Diana caught up to Betty, Kevin and Ronnie as they were walking towards a table.

"Okay, well, I ship it." She heard Veronica telling Kevin.

"Well, of course you would. You're a big city girl with loose morals." Kevin replied.

"Hey, guys. Ship what?" She asked once she reached them.

"Diana! I missed you, gal. And I just meant that Moose has an official girlfriend, Midge." Kevin explained.

"Anyway, it's terrible to say, but part of me wishes he would just stay in the darn closet." He continued and Diana noticed the atmosphere get awkward.

"Obviously, I didn't mean literal closet." Kevin supplied.

"Did I miss anything?" Diana asked as they sat on the table where Archie was already at.

"Archie! Any new material you wanna try out on a very forgiving audience?" Ronnie asked Archie.

"I…" Archie was hesitant as he looked at Diana.

"Hey, you wanted music lessons. I need to hear your work." Diana told him as she sat beside him.

"Would you? I'd love to hear it." Betty told him as she finally sat down.

"I'm still working on the lyrics, so…" He said before starting to strum his guitar and sing.

A little while later, he finished and everyone started clapping, save for Betty who looked like she was about to cry.

"Betty? You okay?" Archie asked her and she chuckled as she held back tears.

"I'm supposed to say, "Yes." That's what the nice girl always says, but… No, I'm not. I want to be. I thought I could be. But it's too much, too fast, Archie." She said as she stood up and turned to walk away.

"Betty. Betty, wait." Archie called out as he went after her, leaving Kevin, Diana and Ronnie at the table.

"Okay, now I know I definitely missed something." Diana spoke as she ate a piece of her lunch.

"You have no idea." Kevin said as both he and Ronnie turned back to her.

"So, anyone wanna tell me what's up?" She asked them both.

"Okay so here's the sitch. Wait. What is that?" Kevin suddenly asked and Diana looked at him weirdly.

"What is what?" She asked before Kevin grabbed a hold of her left hand and pointed to the ring.

"This! This ring with a huge ass rock and a glare that I swear can blind me. Even more shocking is that no one has noticed you wearing it." Kevin said as he and Ronnie examined the ring.

"Is that…" Ronnie wanted to ask something but didn't know how to word the question.

"An engagement ring? Yes. Is it from Jason? Yes." Diana answered all their possible questions in advance.

"How did anyone notice this? This is like a big thing!" Kevin exclaimed.

"Jase is dead. There won't be a wedding anymore. And besides, Archie noticed. He knows." Diana stated and there was silence as everyone tried to process.

"So, Betty and Archie?" Diana asked again to get the conversation going once more.

"Oh, yes. You've known just like the rest of Riverdale High how Elizabeth Cooper simply adores Archibald Andrews." Kevin opened.

"So, I managed to convince her to tell him how she felt." He continued.

"The back-to-school semiformal was supposed to be a ploy to get them to confess to each other. Sadly, he didn't feel the same way." Ronnie continued where Kevin left off.

"What happened next?" Diana asked, knowing that there was more to the current situation.

"Well, Archie, Betty and I were invited to Cheryl's after party. She made us play Seven Minutes in Heaven with Archie going first. The bottle landed on me and I told her I didn't wanna do it. But, Cheryl said that if I didn't, she would. So, I chose the lesser of evils and went with him. I guess we got caught up in the moment and the next thing I know, we were kissing." Ronnie ended her story, very ashamed of what she had done.

"Don't be. It's that closet and that game. Hey, Kev, did I ever tell you guys that's how Jase and I got together? So, no, I don't blame you for kissing Archie. As long as you really are sorry and you've both apologized to Betty." Diana said and Ronnie nodded at her.

 **(MEANWHILE WITH ARCHIE)**

Archie walked to the music room where he knew Ms. Grundy was.

"Weatherbee just asked me if I knew anything about Jason." He told her.

"And? What did you say?" Geraldine asked him as she stood up.

"Nothing. That I didn't. But he said that if I did, I shouldn't be scared, and he's make sure I was okay." Archie told her.

"Of course, he would, you're his student." Geraldine told him as she stepped closer get into his personal space.

"I don't even know why I'm keeping this a secret. I don't know what I'm protecting." Archie said as he stepped back but Geraldine followed him.

"Archie, what I feel for you may not be right, but it's real. Which is why, you can't go to Weatherbee. If you do that, we will never see each other again. Archie, I'm putting myself in your hands." Geraldine seductively said as Archie had a flashback of their time in Sweetwater River on July 4th, before he gathered his wits and broke off whatever was happening between him and her.

Unbeknown to them, Jughead was peeking in through the glass on the door. However, he left too fast and failed to see Archie take a step back from Geraldine Grundy.

"What are you doing? Didn't I tell you that we should stop this? I swear, Geraldine, you better stop before I truly break and tell Weatherbee on you. I don't care if you get fired or go to prison." He said before exiting the music room.

\- TIMESKIP (CHEER PRACTICE = SCHOOL GYMNASIUM) -

The girls were practicing the routine taught to them by Cheryl with Diana supervising when Cheryl walked in the gym.

"Stand down, Vixens. And listen up. The weather's predicting a downpour the night of the rally, but already, you're raining on my parade. With Jason so present in our collective consciousness, all eyes will be on me and Diana." She stated.

"Uhm, no." Diana denied but Cheryl paid her no mind.

"Will these beautiful, exotic, hothouse flowers drown under the town's scrutiny, or be swamped by her emotions? The answer, ladies, is "no" and "no."" Cheryl stated.

"Uhm, actually, I think I was already swamped by my emotions last Saturday." Diana informed her and Cheryl just gave her a look that shut her up.

"That said, I need star power. I need the Pussycats. Stay loose and limber, ladies, while I make a call." Cheryl said as she walked away again.

"Ohhhkayyy." Diana whispered to herself with a shake of her head as she approached Betty and Ronnie who looked like they were arguing.

"Look, never speak to me again. If that's what you want, I'll accept that. But what exactly did Archie do wrong?" She heard Ronnie ask Betty.

"Hey, girls" Diana tried to interrupt but they paid her no mind.

"Are you seriously taking his side?" Betty angrily asked.

"I don't think she's taking any-" Diana tried to help but was cut off by Betty.

"And you, Diana. Don't just barge into conversations like these thinking that you know everything. You left without a word and now you just come back and expect everyone to tell you everything just because you're grieving over losing your boyfriend?" Diana knew Betty was just angry but she felt like that was a slap to her face.

"The Pussycats are in. Oh, sorry, ladies, am I interrupting?" Cheryl asked, clearly trying to get in on the drama.

"I was just about to leave." Diana said before walking away.

"As a matter of fact…" Ronnie tried to say but Betty interrupted.

"No, you're not. Actually, I was about to come and find you, Cheryl. I have a gift certificate for hers-and-hers mani-pedis and blowouts at Chez Salon. Do you want to come with me?" Betty offered.

"Don't do this." Ronnie told her.

"Butt out, closet monster. You have forfeited your right to take the high and mighty road. As pour moi, Betty, but of course. I never say no to a pedi. And I was just about to suggest the same thing. Can I steal her for a second?" Cheryl said as she took Betty's hand and walked away with her.

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER CLASSES = POP'S CHOCK'LIT SHOP) -

Daniel dropped her off with promises to come back for her later and Diana made her way inside the establishment. She sat in a high seat facing the counter, still deep in thought.

"Hi. What can I get you?" A pretty woman addressed her.

Diana looked up and saw Ronnie's mom.

"Hello. You're Veronica's mom, aren't you?" She greeted with a smile.

"Yes, I am. Are you one of her friends?" She asked back and Diana nodded.

"Diana Kennedy. It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Lodge." Diana said as she extended her hand.

"Call me Hermione. And, Kennedy? Any relation to JFK?" Hermione joked but was shocked when Diana gave her a shy nod.

"He's my grandfather." Diana replied and both of them got to talking about different things as Hermione served other customers.

It was nice, Diana decided. To be able to talk to a woman about all her worries and problems. She and Daniel never really knew their mom and dad. Their dad died in a plane accident while their mom was pregnant with them and their mom died giving birth to them. Their Aunts and Uncles helped raise them until Derrick, their older brother by 15 years, finally finished college and did his best to raise them without the biases from the people who knew of their last name. That's how they ended up in Riverdale, so they could grow up away from the scrutinizing eyes of the media.

The bell rang, signaling the entrance of another customer. It was Veronica. She sat down beside Diana and her mother turned from serving a table.

"You're doing great, Mom. Better than me this week." Ronnie complimented her, proud of her mom.

"Yeah, we're surviving, Ronnie, by our wits, because that's what we Lodge women do. If Dad could see us now." Hermione told her daughter.

"He'd say you look stunning in that new uniform." Ronnie told her.

"I'm going for this Joan Crawford, Mildred Pierce thing. Is it working?" Hermione asked both girls who chuckled.

"Definitely." Diana confirmed.

The bell jingled again and Archie and Daniel walked in.

"Danny!" Diana hopped off her seat to greet her brother.

"Hi" Daniel greeted her with a hug and a nod in Ronnie's direction.

Meanwhile, Archie was looking at Diana who had kissed his cheek in greeting.

"Hi" Ronnie greeted both guys.

"And who might these heartbreakers be?" Hermione teased as she saw the tension between her daughter and the blonde boy and between Diana and the ginger. Both girls shook their heads as Archie spoke up first followed by Daniel.

"I'm picking up an order for Andrews."

"And I'm here to pick my sister up."

"Oh, you're Fred's son? And you must be Daniel Kennedy? You're as handsome as your father was, and you, Daniel are just as good looking as Veronica described." Hermione addressed the both of them and handed Archie his order.

"I'll see you at home, Mom." Ronnie said, obviously embarrassed.

"Gotta Zayn, Miss Lodge." Diana said with a laugh.

"Uh, wait. I'm sure Archie and the Kennedys would happily escort you." Hermione said, looking mostly at the boys.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go Ronnie." Diana said as she dragged Veronica by the hand outside to the car.

"Come on, Arch. We'll give you a lift too." Daniel said as he tapped Archie on the shoulder and they both exited as well.

 **(WITH DIANA AND ARCHIE || BACK PORTION OF CAR)**

"Ronnie and Kevin told me what happened. Is, uh, Betty still mad at you?" Diana asked Archie as they sat in the backseat with Daniel driving and talking to Ronnie who was seated in the passenger seat.

"We're back to no texting." Archie told her.

"Wanna talk about it?" Diana offered.

"You know that Betty and I have been next-door neighbors since we were four. We've always gone to the same school, been in the same class. I remember in the second grade, I was having trouble reading, and my teacher Mrs. Gribrock told my mom and dad that I should stay back a year, to get caught up. Betty was so against us not being in the same grade that she took it upon herself to tutor me every single day." Archie recounted.

"In the second grade? That was when I met you guys, right?" Diana asked him.

"Yeah. Anyway, when I passed, thanks to Betty, I kissed her and I asked her to marry me. She was like, "Oh, little Archie, we're too young. Ask me when we're 18 and I'll say yes."" Archie said with a laugh.

"Wow" Diana commented.

"I hate that I hurt her." Archie sadly stated.

"Give her time, Archie. That's all you can do. And don't despair, I don't think your story with Betty is over." Diana said as she reached for his hand that was in the middle of them both and gave him a comforting smile.

 **(MEANWHILE WITH VERONICA AND DANIEL || FRONT PORTION OF CAR)**

"I never got to thank you. For dancing with me last Saturday." Ronnie said as a way to start the conversation.

"No need to thank me. It was all Diana's idea. But, I'm glad I did it." Daniel admitted with a smile which made Veronica blush.

"I heard a couple of cheerleaders saying you got into a fight with Betty? How are you holding up?" Daniel asked her nervously.

"Well, I'm back to being the shallow, toxic, rich bitch who ruins everything in her path. Which is unfortunate, because even though I only just met Betty, it really felt like we were meant to be best friends. Like… Like it was our destiny, and now… It's like there was this train that was heading to the rest of my life and I just missed it." Ronnie openly admitted how she felt and Daniel admired her for doing so.

"Hey, chin up. Betty's a nice girl. She and I might not be as close as she and my sister were but I know she'll get over it. And plus, I'll be your friend. Between having Diana as a twin sister and hanging around Cheryl most of the time before, I think I've got all you girls down to a pat." Daniel jokingly said which made Ronnie laugh.

"I don't think you do, Daniel Kennedy. But yes, let's be friends." Ronnie said with a sweet smile.


	6. Episode 2 - Friendships Formed

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome.**_

* * *

 **(MEANWHILE WITH CHERYL AND BETTY = COOPER RESIDENCE)**

"Your room's so sweet." Cheryl commented as she placed some blush on a brush.

"It's too pink. It doesn't feel right anymore." Betty told her.

"No, I like how girly it is. Mine is, too. You should come over and see it sometime. But, just you, not Veronica. I mean, she must be evil incarnate if even you won't have her as a friend. And on the subject of being friends, Betty, I'm sorry I've been such a witchy-witch to you. After Polly and Jason's epic demise I was angry at everyone. But I took it out on you which was super unfair. Especially since, in a way, it's kinda like we both lost siblings." Cheryl explained.

"How, uh, how is Polly? Is she still in that group home? Do you think she knows what happened to Jason, that he was murdered?" Cheryl rapid-fired questions at Betty.

"I… I'm not sure." Betty said, clearly unsure.

"What do you think went down between them?" Cheryl asked again.

"I don't know."

"What do your parents say? About Jason and Polly?"

"Not a lot."

"Same. I keep thinking that maybe Jason said something to her or she aid something to him. I mean, didn't they have a big break up, or…" Cheryl told her.

"Why are you asking so many questions about Polly?" But Betty was met with silence.

"Cheryl?" Betty asked again when Cheryl didn't answer.

"Because, you dumb cow, someone shot my brother and I think it was your crazy, tweaked-put sister. I mean, it only makes sense, right? He broke up with her cause he didn't feel the same. Maybe she went nuts and just couldn't take that." Cheryl ranted as she turned to face the mirror in Betty's room.

"Get out of my house." Betty warned her quietly.

"Not until you tell me…" Cheryl demanded, turning around but stopped as she saw the expression on Betty's face.

"Cheryl, get the hell out of my house before I kill you." Betty threatened.

 **(WITH ARCHIE)**

Archie was walking a few blocks from home just because his house was out of the way and he didn't wanna bother the Kennedys even though they reassured him, they were happy to drive him to his front door. When he looked at his front porch, he saw Jughead sitting there, looking at him with a serious expression.

"Jug. What's up?" He asked his old friend.

"What's up is I saw you, Archie. In the music room. With Ms. Grundy." Jughead confronted as he stood up and walked closer to Archie.

"Keep your voice down, my dad's inside." Archie warned him.

"I'm trying to help you, dude. I'm trying to be your friend here. Even though we're not anymore." Jughead told him.

"How long? You and Grundy?" He pushed.

"During the summer. But Jug, I swear to you, it was only a 2-time thing." Archie fessed up.

"So, I'm guessing she's the reason you've been acting weird since summer?" Jughead clarified.

"One of them."

"One of them. There's more?"

"We were at Sweetwater River on July 4th. We heard a gunshot. The gunshot." Archie admitted.

"Dude, you have to tell somebody." Jughead encouraged him.

"I can't. Neither can you. If people find out about Grundy and I…" Archie tried to explain.

"A kid is dead, Archie! And you're worried about some… Some cougar?" Jughead angrily accused.

"I don't know what to do. I don't wanna see her lose her job even though I broke things of with her after that day." Archie said.

"Stab in the dark. I'm guessing she cares more about herself. She's the one who's telling you not to say anything, right? Look, I saw you guys. She's messing with you, man. And she's messing with your mind."

"What the hell do you know about it, Jughead? Or about me, even?"

"Nothing. But I used to know this guy once. Archie Andrews. He wasn't perfect but… He always tried to do the right thing, at least."

"Jug, please give me time to think things through." Archie requested as Fred came out of the house.

"Hey, Jug. Coming in? We got take-out from Pop's." He invited.

"I was just leaving." Jughead answered as he looked at Archie once more before walking away.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Betty and Veronica were getting their respective things needed for class in their lockers which was across each other's. Diana was leaning against the locker beside Ronnie's, listening to music.

"You were right." Betty admitted which caught Diana and Ronnie's attention and Diana stopped playing her music and took out her earpods as they turned their attention to Betty.

"And what you said about Archie. Sometimes, it's hard to admit things to yourself. My mother is crazy. I'm afraid I'll never see my sister again. The boy I like doesn't like me back." Betty stated as the girls met in the middle of the hallway.

"He may not be crushing on you, but he does love you. And he's legit miserable without you, if it's any consolation." Diana told her.

"My mom says sometimes a friend is better than a boyfriend. Maybe this is one of those times." Ronnie added and the three girls smiled at one another.

\- TIMESKIP (FREE PERIOD || STUDENT LOUNGE) -

Reggie was talking to everyone about how he got grilled by Sheriff Keller for Jason's death. Betty and Kevin were sitting together, Ronnie was chatting with Daniel and Diana was standing near Jughead when Archie walked in and approached the vending machine. By this time, Reggie was already pointing fingers at the other students.

"I mean, let's think about it. If a kid at Riverdale killed Jason, it's not gonna be a jock, right? Now let's be honest. Isn't it always some spooky, scrawny, pathetic Internet troll, too busy writing his manifestos to get laid? Some smug, moody, serial killer fanboy freak, like Jughead?" Reggie said as he turned to face the said boy.

"Lay off, Mantle, if you don't want me beating that face up." Diana threatened but Reggie ignored her and laughed.

"What was it like, Suicide Squad? When you shot Jason? You didn't do stuff to the body, did you? Like… after?" He teased.

"I said, enough." Diana said as she started to step forward, only to be held back by Jughead.

"It's called necrophilia, Reggie. Can you spell it?" He retorted and Reggie got up and got ready to punch him but was stopped by Archie.

"Come here, you little…"

"Hey shut the hell up, Reggie."

"Boys." Diana warned as Jughead placed her behind him for protection.

"What do you care, Andrews?"

"Nothing, just leave him alone."

"Holy crap. Did you and Donnie Darko kill him together? Was it some sort of pervy, blood brother thing?" Reggie taunted and Archie shoved him before he shoved back and both ended on the floor.

"Don't get in the middle of this, Di." Daniel told her sister as he went with Jughead to pull the boys away from each other.

They got there just as Reggie punched Archie in the face and Archie kind of blacked out.

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER CLASS || ANDREWS RESIDENCE) -

Archie was nursing an ice pack on his bruised eye when his dad walked in.

"Ooh. I hate to ask this, but did you get that in a fight with Jughead?" Fred asked his son.

"Nah. No, it was with Reggie. It's a long story." Archie replied and Fred nodded.

"Jughead and I, we were disagreeing about a girl. Because there's this girl." Archie stated and Fred interrupted.

"There usually is."

"But it's not about me and Jughead, it's about me and this girl. I think we should do something. And it's the right thing, Dad. But if I do this thing, it'll hurt the girl. That doesn't make any sense, does it?" Archie told his dad.

"You know, this is the most honest talk we've had in a while. And I'm glad that you wanna do the right thing. I can see that. Even under the shiner. Archie, if you know it's the right thing to do, even though it's tough, even though it might… it might cost you. You gotta do it." Fred advised him.

\- TIMESKIP (PEP RALLY || FOOTBALL FIELD) -

It was pretty loud as the crowd was being pumped up by the cheerleaders, the band and the football players. Archie ran towards the refreshments stand where Ms. Grundy was.

"I'm gonna come clean with Weatherbee and Keller. I was there. I heard the gunshot and I have to own that. I'm gonna do it tomorrow. If you wanna come with me, then we can figure that out. If not, I'll respect that and I'll do whatever I can to keep you out of it. I'm sorry Ms. Grundy, but I have to." Archie told her before walking away and heading in Jughead's direction.

"Girl trouble? You?" Jughead sarcastically said.

"I'm telling Weatherbee. And also, I didn't mean all that crap I said to you. I'm sorry." Archie apologized.

"It's cool."

"We're not gonna hug in front of this whole town." Jughead added as Archie continued to stare and they both laughed.

"So why don't we both just do that bro thing where we nod like douches and mutually suppress our emotions?" He suggested again.

"Yeah, but as friends, right?" Archie offered.

"To be discussed, over many burgers, and many days." Jughead told him and Archie smiled before walking back towards the field where he bumped into Betty.

"Oh, my God, Arch. Your eye." Betty said as she reached out to touch it and Archie recoiled from the sting. He didn't get the chance to reply before being whisked away by the other members of the football team. Soon, Principal Weatherbee started talking.

"Now to kickoff this pep rally, I'd like to hand it over to our very own Mayor McCoy." He said as a woman took the microphone from him.

"Thank you, Principal Weatherbee. It is heartening to see so many of you here, even in weather like this. But lack of heart and school spirit as never been the Riverdale way. Tonight's pep rally isn't like any other we've had in the past. And we shouldn't pretend that it is. Which is why I would like to dedicate this evening to the memory of one of our brightest. Jason Blossom. We're with him tonight. Now please, join me in welcoming to the field our very own River Vixens, and their special guest stars, my daughter, Josie and her Pussycats!" Mayor McCoy introduced as she stepped to the side and Josie and her band took their places.

The cheerleading squad did the routine and Cheryl joined the band on stage just as it ended and she and Josie hugged. Coach Clayton went up on stage and spoke into the microphone.

"All right, you all ready? Let's make some noise! Put your hands together for the Riverdale Bulldogs!" He said and the football team made their grand entrance by running through a poster that the cheer squad had made.

People were cheering them on but Diana and Cheryl stopped as they saw Archie wearing Jason's jersey number and in that moment, resembled him so much. Diana had to close her eyes and painfully remind herself that Jason was dead and that it was Archie out in the field. However, it was too much for Cheryl to bear as she dropped the mic she was holding and ran towards the school. Diana immediately went after her followed by Ronnie and Betty.

"Cher? Cher, what is it? What happened?" Diana asked once she saw Cheryl sobbing on a locker room bench.

"Jason. He's gone." She sobbed.

"I know. I know he is." Diana said as she placed an arm around Cheryl and tears started streaming down her face as well.

Cheryl placed both her hands-on Diana's cheek and looked her in the eye.

"No, you don't understand, Di. He was supposed to come back. I'm alone." She continued to sob.

"What do you mean, Cher?" Diana asked her. She wanted answers and she wanted them now.

"He made up a plan. To fake his own death so he could go see you and you could live together happily. Away from our parents and the clutches of their money. That's why I was confused when you came back. I thought you knew of his plan, I thought he'd found his way to you. But when they found his body by the river. It just sunk in, that I'd lost him for good." Cheryl admitted as she threw her arms around Diana and started sobbing again.

The shocked blonde could do nothing but comfort her friend with the famous words that Jason always used to tell her.

"You're not alone. It's okay. I'll protect you." And as tears streamed down her face, Diana swore that she would get to the bottom of whoever had done this to her love. That was when she felt another pair of arms wrapped around her. She looked up to see Veronica and she cried as she felt reality sink in.

That Jason Blossom loved her so much, he was ready to leave Riverdale for her. He was ready to sacrifice being with his sister and parents just so they could be happy. And she couldn't help but cry over all the time she wasted because of how afraid she was. But, this time, she would be strong. For him, for her and for the future.

 **(AFTER THE PEP RALLY)**

Betty approached Diana and Veronica who were keeping their stuff.

"Hey" She greeted.

"Hey." Both girls replied, together.

"I saw you guys and Cheryl. Not many girls would've done what you did." Betty told them.

"Cheryl and I may not get along all the time, but she's like a sister to me. I spent a lot of my childhood with her being Jason's twin sister and all. We always had a mutual respect. And I know what she's been going through." Diana explained.

"Full disclosure. I've had my share of emotional breakdowns." Ronnie confessed.

"If you guys aren't doing anything, do you wanna go get milkshakes at Pop's?" Betty shyly offered.

"Are you sure?" Diana clarified, teasingly.

"Yeah."

"Betty, we'd love that." Ronnie said as the three of them started walking away.

\- TIMESKIP (POP'S CHOCK'LIT SHOP) -

"Here you go. One double chocolate, one old-fashioned vanilla and one Oreo flavored milkshake." The waiter told them as he placed down their orders.

"Thank you." All three girls replied.

"Also, Diana, I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. About you leaving and coming back feeling entitled just because you lost Jason. I was angry, and I didn't mean them." Betty apologized and Diana gave her a smile.

"Betts, we've been friends since third grade. Of course, I forgive you." Diana said as she sipped her milkshake.

"Betty, Di… Can we make a vow?" Ronnie asked.

"Sure" "Lay it on me" Were the replies.

"That no matter what, no boy will ever come between us again. Deal?" Ronnie propositioned.

"Deal" Betty and Diana said together and they all clinked their glasses before taking a sip in unison.

The bell rang and the three girls looked towards the entrance to see Jughead, Daniel and Archie. The three looked at each other before looking back at the guys.

"Do you guys want to join us?" Betty offered and Jughead was the first to respond.

"Yes, but only if Diana is treating." He said as he jumped over Ronnie to sit near the window and beside Betty.

"Noooo, let's make Danny pay for it." Diana teased as she watched her brother sit beside Ronnie and Archie take a seat beside her.

"Veronica Lodge." Veronica introduced herself to Jughead.

"Jughead Jones, the third." Jughead replied and the 6 friends spent the night laughing as if they were just kids and that their worries all faded away.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Archie was walking to the Principal's office to finally confess to Weatherbee about what he knew. But as he was about to open the door, the principal and the sheriff stepped out. They went to the classroom where Biology class was happening. Cheryl stood up once they were at the door.

"You're here for me, aren't you? Because of the autopsy?" She asked them.

"We don't need to do this in front of your classmates, Cheryl." The principal told her.

"It's alright, Principal Weatherbee. They'll find out soon enough." She said as she offered her arms out and waited to be handcuffed.

"Now, that won't be necessary." The Sheriff told her.

"Cher, just step out with them, please." Diana whispered to her.

"Wait, Cheryl, find out what?" Veronica asked her.

"That I'm guilty." Cheryl said.

* * *

 _As shocking as those three words were, they were nothing compared to the secrets that Jason's body had given up during its autopsy._

 _That Jason didn't die on July 4_ _th_ _, as we believed, but over a week later._


	7. Episode 3 - Budding Feelings

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome.**_

* * *

 _Guilt, innocence._

 _Good, evil._

 _Life, death._

 _As the shadows around Riverdale deepened, the lines that separated these polar opposites blurred and distorted._

" _I'm guilty." Cheryl said in Biology class. But of what?_

* * *

"To clarify, I didn't mean I was guilty of killing Jason. I loved him more than I do myself. But I am guilty of lying about what happened on July 4th." Cheryl explained to Principal Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller.

"The autopsy puts his death about July 11th. When was the last time you saw your brother?" Sheriff Keller asked her.

"It was July 4th. I don't know what happened the week after that, but…" Cheryl recounted.

"Cheryl, in your own words, what happened at Sweetwater River?" Sheriff asked her.

"The plan was bananas, even for me. Jason wanted to leave Riverdale and never come back. He said he wanted to be with Diana forever. He asked for my help to stage a tragic accident, so that our mom and dad wouldn't come after him. Our story would be, we went for an early morning boat ride, and the boat tipped, and capsized and Jason drowned. In fact, we made it to the other side dry as bones. We said goodbye on the Greendale side of Sweetwater River. He promised he'd call me as soon as he was in a place where he couldn't be reached or pulled back by our parents. One month, at the most. Every day, I waited for him to call, for an email. That's why I was surprised to find out that Diana and Daniel had come back to town." Cheryl recounted.

"You tell anyone about the plan? Any way that you can corroborate it? And you have no idea why your brother wanted to run away, fake his own death? Doesn't that seem cruel?" Sheriff Keller rapid-fired questions.

"No, he wasn't… Jason wasn't cruel." Cheryl defended her brother.

"So maybe this is all just a web of lies you're spinning to cover your own tracks." He accused.

"I didn't kill Jason! There was a gunshot that morning. We heard a gunshot on July 4th. Maybe whoever killed Jason took a shot at him, and missed that morning." Cheryl quickly told him as she remembered.

"You heard a gunshot, and you're just telling us this now?" He fired back at her.

"I was upset. My brother was murdered."

"So upset that you sang and danced at a pep rally yesterday." Sheriff said just as the door slammed and the Blossoms walked in.

\- TIMESKIP (FREE PERIOD || STUDENT LOUNGE) -

Betty, Kevin, Diana, Daniel, Archie and Ronnie were seated in chairs at the lounge room, talking about what happened when Archie confessed to Principal Weatherbee and Sheriff Keller about the gunshot he heard.

"So, are you a suspect now?" Daniel asked Archie as he sat on a couch with Diana's head on his lap.

"My dad says we all are, including me." Kevin says as he ate more licorice.

"Not me, girl. I don't know these people." Ronnie stated.

"Why the fuck would I want my future husband killed?" Diana stated angrily and everyone looked at her. She just raised her left hand out as a reminder.

"Same, I mean, Jason was my brother in all means but blood. He meant a lot to me and my sister." Daniel supplied.

"Guys, we should maybe re-binge Making a Murderer on Netflix tonight?" Kevin offered.

"Sorry. Can't. Gotta stay late to work on the paper." Betty told him.

"I can't as well. I have, uh, stuff to take care of at home." Diana said as she sat up properly on the couch.

"Count me out, too. I've got a date tonight." Ronnie confessed.

"You do?" Archie asked.

"Which Riverdale hottie made the cut?" Kevin asked as Chuck Clayton called out to Veronica.

"Hey, Vee-Lo. I'll swing by the Pembrooke to pick you up at 8:00?" He asked her.

"I'll be waiting." Ronnie replied.

"Cool." Chuck said as he took his leave.

"Chuck Clayton?"

"You're going on a date with Chuck?"

"Ew, Clayton."

"What the fuck, Chuck?" Were the respective responses of Betty, Kevin, Diana and Daniel.

"He's kind of a player." Betty told Ronnie.

"Who cares? He's one of the hottest guys in campus, and he's the varsity football coach's son. In Riverdale, that's like dating a Kennedy, without actually dating Daniel Kennedy. No offense, Daniel, I mean, you're the hottest of the hot." Kevin said as he nodded to Daniel.

"Uh, none taken?" He asked, confused and was met by giggles from his sister.

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER SCHOOL) -

Diana was about to board her car and drive away when she heard Archie call after her.

"Hey. Di! Wait up!" She turned to see him jogging towards her car.

"Archie? What's up? Do you need anything?" She asked as he got to her car and bent over the passenger window.

"I was thinking, maybe I could come over to your house and you could help me work on my music?" Archie asked her.

"Well, I guess you could. Hop on." Diana said as Archie jumped into the front seat.

"We're stopping by Pop's and you're buying me food, by the way." Diana said with an innocent smile as she started driving off.

\- TIMESKIP (A FEW HOURS LATER || ANDREWS RESIDENCE) -

"Hey." Archie greeted his dad as he walked into their home.

"I texted. Where were you?" Fred asked his son who was playing with Vegas, their dog.

"Football practice. Then I was writing." Archie said as he continued to play with Vegas.

"Songs? Your Music? I thought you and Jughead were on a road trip on the 4th. Then I talked to Sheriff Keller. So, guess that was a lie." Fred said as he stood in front of his son.

"Dad, we were gonna go, but…" Archie tried to explain.

"You should have come to me, Archie. We could've gone to the Sheriff together."

"I didn't want to drag you into it, Dad."

"That was an error in judgement." Fred stated as Archie stood up and started heading up the stairs.

"Sorry, Dad. Sorry I'm not perfect."

"You know, you're pretty far from perfect lately, Archie. That's why you're grounded."

"What? Are you serious?"

"So, in this house every night for two weeks, 7:00. You want some alone time with your music? You got it." Fred told him.

"I'm not 10 years old, Dad! You can't just…" Archie complained but his dad cut him off.

"You wanna go for three?" He said and Archie had no choice but to accept his punishment and walk away.

\- TIMESKIP ( THE NEXT DAY || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Betty, Kevin, Ronnie and Diana were in the hallways, gathering stuff from their lockers.

"So, how'd it go with Chuck?" Kevin asked, wanting all the details.

"Chuck has muscles for days, but his conversation is not the stuff of Oscar Wilde, or even Diablo Cody." Ronnie explained.

"Hey, Veronica. How was the Sticky Maple you had last night?" One of Cheryl's minions asked as she passed by.

"The what now?" Ronnie asked, confused.

"The Sticky Maple Chuck gave you? How was it?" Another girl questioned.

"We had a brownine sundae, if that's what you hyenas mean." Ronnie retorted.

Suddenly, Betty, Kevin and Diana's phones started beeping. Kevin and Diana took theirs out to see.

"Oh, my God." Diana said as she looked at the post.

"What? What the hell is a Sticky Maple?" Ronnie questioned as she took the phone from Diana and looked at the photo.

"It's kind of what it sounds like. It's a Riverdale thing." Kevin explained.

"No, Kevin, it's a slut-shaming thing. And I'm neither a slut, nor am I going to be shamed by someone named, excuse me, Chuck Clayton. Does he really think he can get away with this? Does he not know who I am? I will cut the brakes on his souped-up phallic symbol." Ronnie said, getting riled up.

"Or we can go to Principal Weatherbee." Betty suggested.

"About the coach's son? Who is captain of the football team, and Riverdale High's resident golden boy?" Ronnie clarified.

"Or I can expose him in the pages of the Blue and Gold. Yeah, I can do that!" Betty suggested again, trying to keep Ronnie out of trouble.

"No. Spoken like a true good girl who always follows the rules. Well, I don't follow rules, I make them, and when necessary, I break them. You wanna help me get revenge on Chuck, Diana and Betty, awesome. But you better be willing to go full dark, no stars. What do you say, in or out?" Veronica said as she walked towards the boys' locker room.

When she reached the door, she stopped and waited for Diana and Betty to catch up.

"It's gonna be packed full of half-naked guys in there. The plan is to shove them out the way and determine where Chuck Clayton is." Ronnie told them but before she could open the door, Diana stepped forward.

"Or, you could avoid sweaty and smelly boys and send me. Watch and learn." She stated as she banged the door to the locker room open and caught a few guys' attention.

When they saw that it was Diana Kennedy who had entered their territory, they immediately gave way.

"I'm looking for Chuck Clayton, have you seen him?" She sweetly asked one of the guys to her right who pointed her in a certain direction.

"Thanks." She looked back as she started walking which caused her to bump into someone.

"Diana? Veronica? Betty, what are you guys doing here?" It was Archie who was struggling to make sure his towel didn't fall off and to keep his private parts private.

Veronica stepped forward this time.

"Don't worry about it. I mean it, Andrews. Hit the showers and stay out of my way." She said as she led the group this time to where Chuck supposedly was.

"Sorry, Arch." Diana stated as she passed by him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

They finally saw Chuck who was talking to Moose about something and whose back was turned to them. Veronica cleared her throat and Chuck faced them.

"Huh, B, D, and V. Menage a right on. Ladies." He greeted in his cocky manner.

"This is disgusting. Take it down." Ronnie said as she showed him the photo.

"Whoa, whoa. Why are you so wound up? It's a badge of honor, and you're not exactly virgin territory after your closet date with Andrews." Chuck replied and Betty decided to speak up.

"Okay, that's beyond irrelevant, Chuck. You're not allowed to go around humiliating girls, for any reason, under any circumstances, you jerk."

"Look, I get you're not a closet kind of girl, but hey, if you wanna ride the Chuck Wagon, that can be arranged." Chuck bragged.

"Let's keep this simple, so that your preppy-murderer half-brain can grasp it. Take. This. The hell. Down." Ronnie ordered him.

"Okay, that high-toned bitch attitude may have worked on the betas you dated in New York, but you're in Bulldog territory." He said as Moose started barking.

"But please, fight back. You'll only make it harder on yourself." He continued and started to walk away when Diana stepped in his way.

"But, oh, Chucky. Don't you remember who I am and what my family and I can do? I can make sure you and your family suffer for every bad thing that YOU did. But please, fight back. Because It's been a long time since someone crossed the Kennedys. And I do want you to make it harder on yourself. You'd do well to remember that. I'm watching." She said as innocently as possible with an underlying threat in her tone as she spun on her heel and walked away as all the guys made a path towards the exit.

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER SCHOOL || STUDENT LOUNGE) -

Diana entered the student lounge after a long day of classes, tired as hell and saw Archie there, playing some chords on his guitar.

"Hey. Wow look at you, I think it's good that you're really taking this music thing seriously. Not many people do." Diana said as she plopped down on a couch opposite him.

"Hey. And yeah, music is like an escape for me, you know?" Archie told her and she nodded.

"Play me a song? Just any song. Doesn't have to be one of yours." Diana said as she looked at him with puppy dog eyes and Archie sighed.

"Fine. You're lucky I've been working on this cover. As long as you sing with me, too." He said, pressing a few buttons on his phone before strumming his guitar to a familiar tune.

 _(Now Playing: Mirrors by Justin Timberlake)_

 _ **Archie:**_

 _Aren't you somethin' to admire?_

 _'Cause your shine is somethin' like a mirror_

 _And I can't help but notice_

 _You reflect in this heart of mine_

 _If you ever feel alone and_

 _The glare makes me hard to find_

 _Just know that I'm always parallel on the other side_

 _'Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul_

 _I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go_

 _Just put your hand on the glass_

 _I'll be tryin' to pull you through_

 _You just gotta be strong_

 _'Cause I don't wanna lose you now_

 _I'm lookin' right at the other half of me_

 _The vacancy that sat in my heart_

 _Is a space that now you hold_

 _Show me how to fight for now_

 _And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy_

 _Comin' back into you once I figured it out_

 _You were right here all along_

 _It's like you're my mirror_

 _My mirror staring back at me_

 _I couldn't get any bigger_

 _With anyone else beside of me_

 _And now it's clear as this promise_

 _That we're making two reflections into one_

 _'Cause it's like you're my mirror_

 _My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me_

 _ **Diana:**_

 _Aren't you somethin', an original_

 _'Cause it doesn't seem merely assembled_

 _And I can't help but stare, 'cause_

 _I see truth somewhere in your eyes_

 _I can't ever change without you_

 _You reflect me, I love that about you_

 _And if I could, I would look at us all the time_

 _'Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul_

 _I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go_

 _Just put your hand on the glass_

 _I'll be tryin' to pull you through_

 _You just gotta be strong_

 _ **Both:**_

 _'Cause I don't wanna lose you now_

 _I'm lookin' right at the other half of me_

 _The vacancy that sat in my heart_

 _Is a space that now you hold_

 _Show me how to fight for now_

 _And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy_

 _Comin' back into you once I figured it out_

 _You were right here all along_

 _It's like you're my mirror_

 _My mirror staring back at me_

 _I couldn't get any bigger_

 _With anyone else beside of me_

 _And now it's clear as this promise_

 _That we're making two reflections into one_

 _'Cause it's like you're my mirror_

 _My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me_

 _ **Archie:**_

 _Yesterday is history_

 _Tomorrow's a mystery_

 _I can see you lookin' back at me_

 _Keep your eyes on me_

 _Baby, keep your eyes on me_

 _ **Both:**_

 _'Cause I don't wanna lose you now_

 _I'm lookin' right at the other half of me_

 _The vacancy that sat in my heart_

 _Is a space that now you hold_

 _Show me how to fight for now (please show me, baby)_

 _I'll tell you, baby, it was easy_

 _Comin' back into you once I figured it out_

 _You were right here all along_

 _ **Archie:**_

 _It's like you're my mirror_

 _My mirror staring back at me_

 _I couldn't get any bigger_

 _With anyone else beside of me_

 _And now it's clear as this promise_

 _That we're making two reflections into one_

 _'Cause it's like you're my mirror_

 _My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me_

As Archie played the last chord, he looked up to see Diana looking down and holding her necklace to her first before kissing it. She went to put it back in her shirt but not before Archie caught what the pendants were.

"Wait, are those?" He trailed off, not knowing how to ask but Diana seemed to know what he was thinking.

"Wedding rings? Yes. They're mine and Jason's. Infinity rings that he had, specially made." She answered with a small smile as she tucked them back into her shirt, safely.

"Wow. I never realized even though we were very close friends before cause you never had difficulty separating time for him and us but you guys really did love each other." It was all Archie could say as he noticed a gnawing feeling in his stomach.

At that exact moment, Diana's phone beeped with a text and picked it up and read it. After a while, she stood up and gathered her stuff.

"Well, I gotta go, Arch. Thank you for cheering me up with that song. Laters." She said as she kissed his cheek and walked out the lounge.

This time, Archie felt his heart start beating faster. Did he start developing feelings for Diana Kennedy?


	8. Episode 3 - B, V, and Pandora's Box

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome.**_

* * *

 **(WITH DIANA)**

Diana made her way to the Blue and Gold newsroom where Betty texted her to go. She got there and saw a bunch of girls gathered around with Betty and Veronica.

"Hey. What's going on here? Is this some kind of secret society initiation?" She asked cautiously as she looked around the room.

"The story is bigger than we thought. Chuck and 4 other guys, his posse, they're the ones responsible for slut-shaming girls in this school. Ethel here volunteered to go on record for he did against her." Betty explained.

"Yes, yes, we've all heard your tragic origin story." Cheryl spoke as she appeared by the doorway.

"Cheryl, don't do this." Diana warned as Betty told Ethel how sorry she was that something that horrible happened.

"Not as horrible as being a suspect in your own brother's torture-murder case, but we all have our crosses. In the meantime, River Vixen practice starts in five minutes, sluts, so…" Cheryl told the other cheerleaders who were in the room.

"They're ruining our lives, and to them it's just a game. They keep score and…" Ethel expressed but Ronnie cut her off.

"Wait, what do you mean, keep score?" She asked.

"Each conquest earns them points. They keep track in some secret playbook."

"Okay, we have to talk to Weatherbee." Betty exclaimed.

"I already tried. Weatherbee said that he didn't find anything." Ethel told her.

"Okay, we need undeniable proof." Betty said.

"Proof of what, Nancy Drew? That boys will be boys? And that playbook reeks of suburban legend." Cheryl exclaimed.

"How would you know, Cheryl?" Ronnie asked her.

"Because, Frida Shallow, before he died, my brother was co-captain of the football team with Chuck, and Jason never mentioned it, and he never would've allowed it." Cheryl confidently said.

"Cheryl, we don't know that. Hell, I spent 90% of my time with the guy and even I know that Jase had secrets." Diana explained.

"Okay, well, I never met your brother, but I'm not lying about what happened to me. And Ethel's not lying. And proof or no proof, book or no book, I am going scorched earth on these privileged, despicable miscreants. You wanna get caught in that backdraft, Cheryl? Call me, or any of these beautiful, young, strong, intelligent women "slut" one more time." Ronnie threatened.

\- TIMESKIP -

 **(WITH VERONICA)**

Ronnie was walking out of school when she bumped into someone.

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry." The guy said as he picked up Ronnie's bag which fell to the floor.

Ronnie looked down at him and when he looked up, their eyes met.

"Oh, hey, Veronica." Daniel shyly greeted as he handed her bag over.

"Hey, Daniel." Ronnie said with a smile.

"I saw what Chuck did to you and let me just tell you that it wasn't cool, what he did. No girl deserves to be treated like that. I also want you to know that not all football guys are like that. At least, I'm not." Daniel stated.

"Is there something that you're trying to tell me?" Ronnie asked him and he looked up at the ceiling before turning back to her with a deep sigh.

"I know that, some douchebag, asshole football player just treated you like shit. But, I would love to get the chance to prove to you that I can be better?" Daniel asked with a shy smile while scratching the back of his head.

"You asking me out, Kennedy?" Veronica teased the blonde football player.

"Yes, Miss Lodge. I am." He retorted, more confidently.

"Let me guess, you'll end up taking me to Pop's and we'll have fun and lose track of time just talking about anything and everything?" She asked him.

"If that's what you want." Daniel replied.

"What if I told you I want a fancy dinner at a restaurant the next town over?" Ronnie tested.

"Whatever the lady wants, the lady gets." Daniel said with a half bow.

"Charming. Pick me up this Friday at the Pembrooke. 6:00. Don't be late." She said as she walked away.

"Awesome. Can't wait!" Daniel called out to her and she couldn't help but smile.

 **(WITH BETTY)**

Betty was still at the Blue and Gold newsroom, trying to write the article about what Chuck Clayton and his posse did to some of the girls in school. There was a knock and she looked up and saw Ethel and a boy walk in.

"Ethel."

"Betty, you know Trev Brown, right? Valerie's brother?" Ethel asked her.

"Hey, what's up?" Trev nervously greeted.

"Hey." Betty greeted back with a laugh.

"He used to be on the football team." Ethel told her.

"But I quit. When I saw Chuck's playbook. And I may know where it is." Trev said and the three began to talk about where in the school it could be hidden.

\- TIMESKIP (NIGHTIME || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Betty, Ronnie, Diana, Kevin and Ethel were walking the dark hallways of Riverdale, wearing dark colors and carrying flashights.

"Football players behaving badly, what else is new? Steubenville, Glen Ridge. The coach's son being the ring leader. I mean, just how depraved is this town?" Ronnie ranted as they walked.

"Color me impressed," Someone from behind them said and they all turned in shock to reveal Cheryl.

"A B and E with B and V. What would your holy roller mother say about this, Betty? Diana, I didn't expect to see you here." Cheryl gave Diana a pointed look and no one noticed Diana shake her head a little, telling her to drop it.

"What are you doing here, Cheryl?" Betty asked.

"And where did you get those thigh-high boots? They're amazing." Kevin added.

"Trev told Valerie, who told Josie, who told Ginger, who told Tina, who told me. And I thought I would help out." Cheryl simply said.

"Help? Or derail our investigation?" Betty asked, suspicious.

"Get over yourself, Betty." Cheryl exclaimed.

"Hey guys, get in here." Ethel called out and all of them went to where she was.

"Trev was right. They didn't even bother to hide it." She said once they were all gathered around her. She started flipping the pages.

"New girl? That's what I'm reduced to? Nine points?" Ronnie asked as she saw her name and the label beside it.

"Better than "Big girl." Seven point five." Ethel told her.

"Polly's in this book." Betty stated.

"Why is it next to Chuck's name? I mean, did they even go out?" Kevin asked, confused.

"I'm so sorry, Betty. But, wait a minute, Diana, you're in this book." Ronnie stated as she pointed out the name with a 15 beside it.

"Next to Jason's name." Cheryl said.

"I…" Diana didn't know what to say. Overall, she was just confused right now and the best choice she had was to walk away, pulling something from her neck and left hand and dropping it on the floor as she went.

"This isn't… Jason would never…" Cheryl tried to deny, she couldn't believe her brother was a part of these sick games.

"It's right there, Cheryl! God. Your brother hurt Diana! And Chuck Clayton played my sister!" Betty angrily said.

"This is what guys like Jason and Chuck think about women. We're objects for them to abuse. And when they're done with us, they shame us into silence. They have zero remorse for the lives they destroy." Betty continued.

"Maybe I don't know Jason. Diana was right." Cheryl sadly said.

"I'll take a picture. We'll show it to Weatherbee. It'll be the perfect cover for your expose, Betty." Ronnie said.

"Yeah, but… No. These girls deserve justice, don't you think, Cheryl? You want vengeance? You wanna go full dark, no stars, Veronica? I'm with you. And I have a plan." Betty stated.

 **(WITH DIANA)**

She walked out the school in tears, not knowing where else to go. She couldn't go home in that state, she loved her brother but he would just ask her questions she didn't wanna answer for now. She couldn't believe that Jason was part of a game that disgusting. Now, she was conflicted. Did Jason ask her out because of that game? Did he even have feelings for her to begin with? Or did he just sting her along because she was a Kennedy and according to that playbook she read, it was worth a lot of points.

She got into her car and just sat there, crying and sobbing. She didn't know how long she just sat there when someone tapped on her window. She looked to the side and saw Archie so she rolled down her window.

"Archie? What are you doing here this late? I thought you were grounded." Diana stated as she tried to wipe her tears away.

"I was helping Josie and the Pussycats with their song for tomorrow's Taste of Riverdale thing. What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Archie asked her but she couldn't answer as she had started sobbing again.

"Hey, shhhhhh, stop crying. It's okay. I'm here." Archie said as he opened her car door and lifted her up before transferring the both of them to the backseat and cuddled her.

He placed an arm around her and just let her cry it all out, until all he could hear were her tiny hiccups.

"Here. Clean your face and have some water." He said as he handed her a handkerchief and a bottle of water.

"Thank you, Arch." Diana replied in a raspy voice.

"So, you gonna tell me what made you so upset that you're crying in the middle of the night at the school parking lot? You haven't been this upset since that big fight you and Jason had when we were in middle school." Archie said and felt Diana stiffen when he mentioned Jason.

"Does it have something to do with Jason?" He asked her when she didn't say anything.

"We were at school tonight because we discovered that what happened to Ronnie, happened to a bunch of other girls. We found out that some guys from the football team kept a playbook of all their conquests in the locker room. We found it. And we also found my name written there, along with Jason's beside it. Fifteen points. That's what our whole relationship's been reduced to. I don't know if any of the things he told me was real or if it was all for show. Three years, Arch. Was it all a lie?" Diana said as she cuddled closer to Archie, liking the comforting warmth he gave off.

"Di, I may not know what was going on in Jason's head, but one thing I knew for sure was that he loved you for real. Maybe it all started off as a game but along the way, maybe it became something more. I saw it in the way he looked at you. With love. Like you were his whole world and the sun and moon shone for you. Now that he's gone, you gotta give him the benefit of the doubt. He was ready to fake his own death and leave town. For you. Not anyone else. You." Archie told her.

He looked down at her when she didn't say anything and saw her already staring. Grey eyes met his dark brown ones.

"Thank you, Archie. You always know what to say." Diana finally replied as she leaned in and kissed the tip of his nose before putting her head against his chest and dozing off.

Archie just held her and prayed to God that she couldn't hear or feel his heart hammering in his chest. He knew it was wrong to like her when clearly, her heart belonged to someone else. But, he couldn't help it. She was an amazing person and he knew Jason was a lucky guy to have made her his in the first place.

 **(WITH BETTY)**

She and Ronnie were putting their plan of revenge into motion and it all began with seducing Chuck Clayton.

"Hey, Chuck. Can I sit?" She asked him as he sat in a booth at Pop Tate's.

"Not if you wanna discuss Veronica." He stated as he ate.

"Only insofar as I've been thinking lately how I wanna be more like her." Betty said as she took her seat across him.

"You wanna be a bad girl?" Chuck clarified, not believing his ears.

"Maybe." Betty whispered.

"Like your sister, Polly, was? Now, no one knew this but I was the one who turned Polly bad. You know, prissy prude by day, freak in the sheets by night. Bad girls have more fun, right? Too bad Jason felt bad for her and started dating her to make her off limits." Chuck arrogantly stated.

"Yeah. Maybe you can show me?" Betty requested.

"Yes. Yes, I can do that. Um… when?" He eagerly asked her.

"Tomorrow night."

"Your place or mine?"

"Ethel's. She and her parents will be out. She'll leave us a key. We're friends. And she has a pool… and a hot tub." She seductively said.

"I'll be there. Definitely. Um. Hey, and don't worry. I'll be gentle." Chuck reassured.

"Can't wait." Betty said as she stood up and started walking away.

 **(WITH ARCHIE)**

Archie had no choice but to drive Diana's car to his place, seeing as the girl was already deep in slumber at the back seat. He parked in front of his house and picked up Diana bridal style and walked into the dark house as quietly as possible. He was met by his dad who turned on the lights.

"Welcome home, Ferris. Wait, is that Diana? What happened?" Fred's anger morphed a little into concern as he saw the girl in his son's arms.

"Dad, can I just go put her in my room before you yell at me?" Archie said and Fred nodded.

Archie went up the stairs and into his bedroom where he set Diana down under the covers. He made sure she was tucked in comfortably before went back downstairs to confront his dad's anger.

"Sneaking out, breaking curfew, getting into fights." Fred started listing down.

"I'm not even gonna ask about what happened with Diana." He said as he looked at his son, trying his best to understand him.

"Dad, don't freak out, okay. I was with Josie, helping the Pussycats with a song they're doing at that Taste of Riverdale thing. And I was hoping you would let me go." Archi begged his dad to understand his point.

"No, Archie. You don't get to go wherever you want, whenever you want, and damn what anyone else says." Fred sad as he tried to keep his voice down due to their sleeping guest upstairs.

"Dad, this is the first time a song I worked on is gonna be performed in front of people. On stage. Please, let me go to this, and then ground me for the next six months, a year." Archie bargained.

"We're not haggling over your punishment, end of story." Fred stated.

"Fine. But you have to own it."

"Own what?"

"Okay, if I had a football game tomorrow night, would you stop me from going? No, because football you understand. You respect. But my music, since I told you about it, you don't care. You don't take it seriously." Archie complained.

"This is not about my behavior. This is about your behavior. We're done here." Fred finalized and Archie just turned and made his way to his bedroom.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || ANDREWS RESIDENCE) -

Diana woke up warmer than usual. She opened her eyes to see familiar surroundings, but it certainly wasn't her bedroom. She then sat up and saw Archie sleeping on the floor. She smiled at how thoughtful he was and stood up from the bed and onto the floor, beside him. She poked his cheek.

"Hey, wake up." She whispered to him but he didn't budge.

"Archie, wake up." She tried to shake him this time. Still no response.

She decided to lie on him instead.

"Wh-what?" Archie asked, confused as he felt the extra weight on top of him.

"Good morning. Thank you for last night. And I don't mean that in a pervy way, so get your mind off the gutter." Diana said with a small smile.

"It was no problem." He said as he wrapped his arms around her as she still laid on top of him with her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. They lay there in silence for a few minutes.

"I'm gonna have to get going. Daniel doesn't know where I am and he must be running around like a headless chicken by now." Diana broke the silence as she rolled off him which forced Archie to let go of her.

She got up and offered a hand to Archie to help him get up. He took it and laughed as she tried to pull him up, to no avail.

"Rude." Diana said as she fixed the bed and Archie finally got off the floor.

"You going to the Taste of Riverdale event tonight?" Archie asked her as she started to fix her hair.

"That depends, why? And hey, can I borrow a shirt?" She asked him and he threw her one of his clean school shirts which he knew were sizes too big on her.

"Josie and the pussycats are playing one of my songs later. I'm gonna sneak out to see them perform. I wonder if I'll get to see you there?" Archie told her as he turned around to give her the privacy to change.

"Well, if you put it that way, maybe I will." Diana said as she patted his back, signaling that she was done changing.

She and Archie made their way downstairs where Fred was feeding Vegas in the kitchen.

"Hey Mr. Andrews. I'm sorry for last night and thank you for having me." She said as she gave him a big hug; Fred Andrews was one of her father figures while growing up.

"It's fine, Diana. You weren't a bother. If you need anything, you can always call." Fred told her with a smile.

"Thank you. I have to get going now, though. Daniel must be going crazy looking for me. Archie, walk me out?" She said as she made her way to the door.

Archie followed her out and walked her to her car. They faced each other and Diana hugged him again.

"Thanks again, Arch. See you later." She said as she kissed his cheek and winked at him before sliding into her car and driving away.

\- TIMESKIP (NIGHT TIME || ETHEL'S HOUSE) -

Chuck knocked the door and it opened to reveal Veronica dressed in a black one-piece swim suit.

"You're not Betty." Chuck said as he looked at Veronica cautiously.

"Betty and I talked it over, and we decided it's time to stop fighting over Archie and start learning to share." Ronnie stated as she stepped back to let him in.

"Nice"

"Isn't it? It gets very, very hot. Come on. Let's get wet." Ronnie enticed as she slid into the hot tub.

"Uh, should we wait for Betty to get here first?" Chuck asked and at that moment, Betty seductively walked in wearing a black wig and very red lipstick with a black bra and skirt.

 **(WITH ARCHIE)**

He arrived just as the Pussycats got onstage and hurriedly made his way to the upper balcony to hide from his dad. There, he found Jughead and Diana.

"Are you sure it was worth sneaking out for some locally-sourced Munster?" Jughead asked him in greeting.

"Juggy, I already told you he helped write this song." Diana said as she elbowed Jughead and they watched the presentation.

"Not bad." Jughead stated after listening to it for a few seconds and Archie sent him a thankful smile.

"I'd love to stay, but I gotta shake down an evil Adventure Scout. Di, I'll tell you when I get a solid lead regarding Jason, okay? See you." He said as he stood up.

Diana kissed his cheek and Jughead patted Archie's shoulder.

"Be careful!" Diana reminded him.

The remaining two teens just crouched beside one another as they listened on.

"It's a really good song, Arch. You are amazing." Diana told him as the band finished and he couldn't help but flush a little.

"Thanks, Di. You really helped me out a lot too." He said as they both stood up.

"You're always welcome. Well, I gotta go back down there or Daniel will wonder where I ran off to again." She told him.

"And I gotta get home before my dad sees me here and grounds me for life." Archie said with a laugh as they hugged before parting ways.

Diana was walking around, looking for Daniel when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned and saw Fred Andrews.

"Hey, Mr. Andrews." Diana greeted with a pleasant smile.

"Diana, I need you to tell me the truth about something. Archie says you've been working on his music with him. I know he has the passion for it, but does he have any talent? See, I wanna be supportive, but as a parent, it's really hard to watch your kid chase a dream they may never catch, when real-life opportunities are passing them by." Fred told her.

"Mr. Andrews, I might only be just Archie's age. But, working at Kennedy Records before and being a secret musician myself has taught me a lot about music. Archie has talent. No doubt about it. For me, it's never too late to find an interest in something and develop it." Diana spoke professionally.

"Will he be able to make a living at it?" Fred asked again.

"I assure you, even without my help, he'd have a place at Kennedy Records. Talent like that is rare and special, just like Archie is." Diana told him with a soft smile.

"Thank you for your time, Diana." Fred said as he hugged her and walked away to another part of the room.

Diana continued on her search for her brother and saw him with the Blossoms.

"Diana, dear. There you are. Where have you been?" Penelope asked as she opened her arms for a hug which Diana accepted.

"Aunt Penelope, Uncle Clifford, I was just around talking to some people." Diana vaguely answered as she gave a nod of respect to Clifford Blossom.

She spent the rest of her time at the event with the Blossoms and her brother.

 **(WITH VERONICA AND BETTY)**

"What is that?" Ronnie asked Betty as she was mixing something up in a glass of alcohol.

"Muscle relaxer. Mix it with booze and it lowers your inhibition. Hello, truth serum." Betty answered.

"Maybe we should slow it down a little?" Ronnie said, a little worried.

"It's fine. Right, Chuck? You don't wanna slow down, do you?" Betty addressed him.

"Oh, I'm 2 Fast 2 Furious, baby." Chuck arrogantly replied.

"Good. Good boy, Chuck."

 _ **A little while later…**_

Chuck woke up from getting knocked out by the medicine induced alcohol he drank. He was handcuffed to the hot tub.

"What? What the hell?" He asked as he wiggled his arms around, trying to escape.

"Start recording." Betty told Veronica.

"Hey guys. It's really hot in here. And getting hotter by the minute. Time to squeal, pig. Tell the truth about what happened between you and Veronica." Betty said.

"We had a good time. She had a good time." Was all Chuck said.

"The truth, Chuck, or so help me, I will boil you alive." Betty threatened.

"What? We made out."

"And then?"

"And then I took her home! And I didn't give her a Sticky Maple." Chuck confessed.

"That is all you had to say, you ass. And now, everyone will know." Veronica said as she posted the video she recorded.

"You like shaming people, Chuck?" Betty said, pushing his head down the water.

"Woah, hey…"

"You like dehumanizing them? Prissy prude by day, freak in the sheets by night?" Betty rapid-fired questions.

"No!"

"Apologize!"

"Calm down." Veronica told Betty who paid her no mind.

"Say you're sorry!" Betty told Chuck.

"Okay! Okay, I'm sorry! I'm sorry for all of it!" Chuck said.

"Good job, pig. Now, time for your reward. A Sticky Maple of your own." Betty said as she got ready to pour maple syrup on Chuck and Veronica looked on, confused.

"Apologize for ruining Polly."

"What the hell? Oh, my God!" Chuck said as she poured maple syrup on him.

"Do it, Chuck! Say you're sorry for destroying me. Apologize for what you did to me!" Betty ordered.

"Look, it was a one-time thing!" Chuck said.

"Betty, that is enough! Stop, it's over! We did it. You did it." Ronnie ordered, kind of freaked out by Betty's behavior.

"You are crazy. Oh, my God! You're crazy as hell!" Chuck stated, outraged.

"Betty?" Ronnie called out.

"I'm fine. We're done here." Betty just said.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || ANDREWS RESIDENCE) -

Archie was about to leave for school when he heard construction noises coming from the backyard. He checked it out and saw his dad working on their garage.

"Dad? Dad, what's going on?" He asked.

"Well, I am soundproofing the garage. I figured, you know, while you were grounded, you should at least be productive. Practicing your music." Fred answered him.

"Dad, this is awesome. Thank you." Archie excitedly said.

"I talked to Diana last night and she told me that with her help or not, she knows you'll have a place in Kennedy Records, should you decide. And that she believes in you, Archie. So do I." Fred told Archie.

 **(WITH DIANA AND CHERYL || SCHOOL)**

Diana was fixing her things in her locker when a picture she had of her and Jason fell off. Before she could pick it up, Cheryl was already there picking it up for her. Cheryl turned the picture over and saw Diana and Jason during Christmas. They were dressed up as Santa and Mrs. Clause at a friend's party. Jason was sitting on the couch with Diana on his lap, sideways, his arms around her, keeping her close. He was grinning down at her while she had her head thrown back in laughter.

"Di, can we talk." Cheryl said in a low tone as she handed the photo back.

"Sure, Cher. What's up?" Diana said she looked at the picture and sighed.

"I know that you feel like Jason never cared about you or even loved you. That it was all just a game to him. But, as sad as I am to admit that he kept secrets, even from his own twin, I knew Jason's feelings. Sometimes, way more than he did himself. He loved you, Di. He was crazy about you, even. You don't know how many times I've told him to shut up when it was just the both of us because he was going on about you. Or, the time he was so broken and disconnected from society because you left. Maybe he already had feelings for you; way before the game. Or, maybe he developed them after he got to know you in that way. But, it was all real, Di. I know it was. If in the future, I ever find love, I want it to be the kind that you and Jason had. Because something good came out of it. Please, believe me." Cheryl said as she held out her fist and opened it to reveal their wedding rings and her engagement ring.

Diana looked at the items Cheryl held before looking back down at the picture. She turned back to her locker and Cheryl watched her pin the picture up again in the corkboard she had behind the door of her locker. She then turned to face Cheryl and took the items from her before putting them on herself. She gathered the wedding rings in a fist and closed her eyes for a moment before kissing it and looking at the picture.

"I love you, Jase. I always will. And, I forgive you." She said before turning back to Cheryl and pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you for getting this back for me. We may not get along all the time, but, I love you like a sister, Cheryl." She told her and Cheryl didn't say anything but nevertheless, hugged her back just as tight.

 **(WITH BETTY AND VERONICA)**

Betty just laid out the newly printed copies of the Blue and Gold on a table when Ronnie approached her.

"Quite the expose. Whenever did you find the time to write it?" Ronnie asked as Betty sighed.

"Stayed up all night. Couldn't sleep after…" Betty trailed off and Ronnie agreed.

"Me neither. Betty, you came through for me, in a way that no one else ever has before. But, can we talk about what happened?" Ronnie said.

"What do you mean?" Betty asked her.

"The wig and everything. How far were you gonna take it?"

"Chuck deserved it."

"You called yourself Polly. It was like Dr. Jekyll, Mistress Hyde. You became another person. Why?" Ronnie explained to her.

"Because I am sick of guys like Chuck and even Jason doing horrible things to girls like me, you, Diana and Polly. Okay?" Betty explained.

* * *

 _Good and evil._

 _Light and dark._

 _Betty and Veronica._

 _Two sides of the same Janus coin._

 _Given Betty's article, Weatherbee needed a sacrificial lamb. Needed to make an example of someone. So, after Hermione Lodge negotiated a lesser sentence for our two avenging angels…._

 _Coach Clayton, to save his job, to save the school's reputation was forced to cut his own beloved son, and his goon squad, from the team. An action that, though none of us knew it at the time, would have terrible consequences in the weeks to come._

 _But one thing was certain, Betty and Veronica, now B &V, and maybe forever, had been forged. They walked through the fire, and survived._

 _We crave absolutes. They comfort us, but life is infinitely more complex than that._

* * *

"If you publish a story saying I fired that gun, my life will be ruined. I'll be banished from the Adventure Scouts, and charged with a misdemeanor. So, what if I have a better story? If I tell you what I know, promise me the gunshot stays between us." Dilton Doiley negotiated with Betty and Jughead in the Blue and Gold Newsroom.

"You have our word. As journalists." Betty promised him.

"I saw something at Sweetwater River. Something nobody else saw. Ms. Grundy's car. By the river's edge. She was there." Dilton recounted.

* * *

 _Despite all of our recent troubles, I would have done anything to protect Archie. But Dilton Doiley had just opened Pandora's box, and now, there was nothing I, or anyone, could do to save him._


	9. Episode 4 - The Truth Behind Miss Grundy

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome.**_

* * *

 _It's been a week since the discovery of Jason Blossom's body. But his death is not the first, nor would it be the last casualty that the town of Riverdale would suffer._

 _The Twilight Drive-In where I work, my home away from home, a piece of town history, is closing for good, just when we needed a place to escape to the most._

 _With Sheriff Keller knocking on every door and neighbor suspecting neighbor, Riverdale, every day that passes, is becoming more like Salem during the witch trials._

 _And meanwhile, the girl next door, our friendly neighborhood Hitchcock cloned, Betty Cooper, was wrestling with the knowledge that her best friend, Archie Andrews, was caught up in a forbidden romance._

* * *

 **(WITH BETTY)**

Betty was currently writing down her thoughts in her diary.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Sheriff Keller doesn't know what I know, that Riverdale High's music teacher, Geraldine Grundy was at Sweetwater River the morning Jason Blossom went missing, and that since Archie was also there, they could have been there together._

After she finished writing her entry, she closed her diary and decided to get ready to meet her friends at Pop Tate's.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT DAY || POP'S CHOCK'LIT SHOP) -

Betty, Jughead, Kevin, Veronica, Daniel and Diana were seated at a booth. Betty was silent, a glass of strawberry milkshake in front of her, Kevin was drinking a cola, Diana was helping herself to a plate of fries while Daniel and Veronica shared a chocolate milkshake. Jughead was ranting about how the town was closing down the drive-in for good.

"The Drive-In closing is just one more nail in the coffin that is Riverdale. No, forget Riverdale, in the coffin of the American dream. As the godfather of indie cinema, Quentin Tarantino, likes to say…" Jughead expressed but was cut off by Kevin.

"Please, God, no more Quentin Tarantino references." He begged and Diana giggled.

"What? I'm pissed. And not just about losing my job. The Twilight Drive-In should mean something to us. People should be trying to save it." Jughead explained.

"In this age of Netflix and VOD, do people really want to watch a movie in a car? I mean, who even goes there?" Veronica interjected.

"Jason and I loved the Drive-In." Diana countered.

"I did too. It's a one of a kind experience for me." Daniel seconded.

"People who want to buy crack." Kevin stated.

"And cinephiles like Diana and Daniel, and car enthusiasts. Right, Bets?" Jughead asked, finally noticing that their friend hasn't said anything since the beginning of the conversation.

"Totally." Betty finally stated.

"Anyway, it's closing because the town owns it, but didn't invest in it. So, when an anonymous buyer made Mayor McCoy an offer she couldn't refuse…" Jughead revealed.

"Anonymous buyer? What do they have to hide? No one cares." Ronnie interjected.

"I do!" Jughead said and was backed up by agreeing nods from Daniel and Diana.

"Also, you guys should all come to closing night. I'm thinking American Graffiti. Or is that too obvious?" Jughead asked for suggestions.

"I vote for anything starring Audrey Hepburn. Or Cate Blanchett." Ronnie suggested.

"Or, The Talented Mr. Ripley." Kevin added.

"21 or 22 Jumpstreet. Or do we not have that?" Daniel asked.

"Don't be stupid, Dan. I vote for Dirty Dancing." Diana smiled.

"Betty, your choices?" Kevin asked her and she looked like she just snapped out of her deep thoughts.

"Everything okay, B?" Ronnie checked.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking. Um, maybe Rebel Without a Cause?" She said with a small smile as Jughead looked at her and they both snickered.

Hermione approached the table with more food.

"Here you go, kids." She said as she set the plates down.

"Thanks, Mom." Ronnie said with a smile.

"If I would have known Mama Lodge was working as a waitress at Pop's I never would have given Veronica a spot on the Vixens. It's off-brand and sends a false message about acceptance." They heard Cheryl state.

"After her TMZ-style take-down of Chuck, all the Vixens kind of like Veronica now." One of her cronies stated.

"Do they?" Cheryl asked and stopped Hermione as she went to pick up Cheryl's bill.

"Be sure to put all that cash in the register. You are a Lodge after all, and Lodges are known to have sticky fingers." Cheryl told her.

Veronica stood up to defend her mom with Daniel behind her.

"Cheryl…" Ronnie started.

"Honey, I got this." Hermione told her.

"Cheryl, I went to school with your mother. She didn't know the difference between having money and having class, either." She told Cheryl as she picked up the check and walked away.

Ronnie gave Cheryl a smug smile and Daniel shook his head at her.

"Not cool, Cher." He said as he followed Ronnie back to their table.

The doorbell chimed, signaling new customers. Kevin spoke up.

"Hey, look. It's Archie and his dad." And everyone looked over to where the father and son were.

"I'll be right back." Betty stated as she stood up and started walking over to their table.

"Betty, no, don't." Jughead attempted to stop her but was in vain.

"Wait, what's happening?" Diana curiously asked.

"Hey, Betty." Fred greeted as he saw his son's childhood best friend.

"Hi, Mr. Andrews. Archie, can I talk to you?" Betty politely asked.

"Sure. I'll call you later?" Archie nervously replied.

"No. Actually, now. Just school stuff. Outside?" She said and Archie had no choice but to follow.

Once they were outside, Betty started talking again.

"Archie, as your best friend, is there anything you want to tell me?" She asked him, giving him the chance to fess up.

"I don't think so." Archie said and Betty sighed.

"Ms. Grundy was at Sweetwater River on July 4th. Were you with her?" She straight up asked him.

"Did Jughead tell you?"

"Jughead knows about this?" Betty asked, shocked.

Meanwhile, Kevin, Diana, Daniel and Veronica were trying to look out the window inconspicuously. Jughead was frowning.

"What's happening out there? Do we know? Is it about me?" Ronnie asked out loud.

"I have a strong inkling, and no. Also, I'd let it go." Jughead advised.

"Yes, but you're you, and I'm me. You do you, girl, I'll be back. Diana, come on." Ronnie said as she grabbed Diana's hand and dragged her outside.

"What was it like before she got here? I honestly cannot remember." Kevin stated.

"I don't even want to remember, man. She's amazing." Daniel replied with a grin.

Veronica and Diana made it outside and approached the pair.

"Archie. Are you and Ms. Grundy, like, together, like, romantically?" They heard Betty ask him.

"Oh, my God. You and the music teacher are having an affair?" Ronnie asked.

"We were… together. Look, I know that sounds bad, but…" Archie tried to explain.

"Bad? It sounds scandalous." Ronnie added.

"It sounds like jail time to me. Illegal!" Betty said.

"Betty, don't go there." Archie told her.

"Oh, I'm already there."

"Diana, a little help here?" Archie looked at her but she didn't say anything. She just stared back at him with calculating eyes.

"I mean, technically, Betty's right. And ethically, well, what is Grundy to you, anyway, your girlfriend?" Ronnie asked him.

"What? No! It was a two-time thing! I swear! And I ended it after that day at the river." Archie swore.

"You said you were at the river alone. You lied to Sheriff Keller, to all of us. Why? To protect her?" Betty asked him.

"She believed in me when no one else did. And she kind of seduced me." Archie admitted.

"Okay, we get it." Ronnie told him.

"Betty, say something, please." Archie begged but Betty just shook her head, thinking about the whole thing.

A car honked loudly before stopping right in front of them. It was Alice Cooper, Betty's mom.

"Get in the car, Betty. Now." She ordered and Betty did as she was told. The two had a hushed conversation before Alice drove off.

Archie sighed as he turned to the other person who hasn't said a word all this time.

"Diana, talk to me." Archie pleaded but all Diana did was look at him once before turning and walking back into the restaurant.

Ronnie sighed deeply before she spoke up.

"Oh, Archiekins. You're in it deep this time."

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || SCHOOL) -

Jughead was handing out flyers, informing the people about the last Drive-In show and Archie was trying to talk to him.

"How hard it would even be, if I've me a little heads-up?" Archie asked him, talking about Betty finding out about him and Grundy.

"Look, I am, by nature, a conscientious objector. Not saying anything to either you or Betty, was the most moral, apathetic choice I could make." Jughead informed him.

"But, Jug. She's not going to write about me and Grundy in the paper, is she? Like she did with Chuck?" Archie asked for reassurance.

"Dude, seriously? Okay, come on. Think about what you're asking. If there was even an iota of a chance that something could hurt you in any way, Betty wouldn't do it." Jughead told him and Archie nodded in understanding.

"Probably" He added.

"Oh, my God." Archie expressed.

"I'm kidding. But maybe she has a point. During that time, what did you see happening with Grundy, long-term? What did you want?" Jughead asked.

"I wanted to be with her. I didn't know why, but during those two incidents, I wanted to hang on to what we had for as long as possible. But then, I woke up and realized that it wasn't right." Archie explained.

"Yup. I feel that. I was trying to hold on to something a lot older than me, too. But then I realized that this change could be good for Riverdale." Jughead said, referring to the Drive-In being shut down.

"Just… If Betty's gonna do anything crazy, can you please let me know so I can do something to stop it?" Archie requested.

\- TIMESKIP (LUNCH PERIOD || MUSIC ROOM) -

Diana was once again sat on the piano as she ran her fingers over the keys, letting her feelings take over.

 _(PLAY: SECRET LOVE SONG || LITTLE MIX)_

 _"When you hold me in the street_

 _And you kiss me on the dance floor_

 _I wish that it could be like that_

 _Why can't it be like that?_

 _'Cause I'm yours_

 _We keep behind closed doors_

 _Every time I see you, I die a little more_

 _Stolen moments that we steal as the curtain falls_

 _It'll never be enough_

 _It's obvious you're meant for me_

 _Every piece of you, it just fits perfectly_

 _Every second, every thought, I'm in so deep_

 _But I'll never show it on my face_

 _But we know this._

 _We got a love that is homeless_

 _Why can't you hold me in the street?_

 _Why can't I kiss you on the dance floor?_

 _I wish that it could be like that_

 _Why can't we be like that?_

 _'Cause I'm yours_

 _When you're with her, do you call her name_

 _Like you do when you're with me? Does it feel the same?_

 _Would you leave if I was ready to settle down_

 _Or would you play it safe and stay?_

 _Boy, you know this._

 _We got a love that is hopeless_

 _Why can't you hold me in the street?_

 _Why can't I kiss you on the dance floor?_

 _I wish that it could be like that_

 _Why can't we be like that?_

 _'Cause I'm yours_

 _And nobody knows I'm in love with someone's baby_

 _I don't wanna hide us away_

 _Tell the world about the love we're making_

 _I'm living for that day_

 _Someday_

 _Why can't I hold you in the street?_

 _Why can't I kiss you on the dance floor?_

 _I wish that we could be like that_

 _Why can't we be like that?_

 _'Cause I'm yours, I'm yours_

 _Oh, why can't you hold me in the street?_

 _Why can't I kiss you on the dance floor?_

 _I wish that it could be like that_

 _Why can't it be like that?_

 _'Cause I'm yours_

 _Why can't I say that I'm in love?_

 _I wanna shout it from the rooftop_

 _I wish that it could be like that_

 _Why can't we be like that?_

 _'Cause I'm yours_

 _Why can't we be like that?_

 _Wish we could be like that"_

As soon as her fingers ended the last note, a familiar voice spoke up.

"I knew I'd find you here." It was Daniel.

"Diana, can we talk?" He asked as he sat beside her.

"What's there to talk about?" She replied.

"You know I've been seeing Veronica, right? And she's an amazing girl, Di." Daniel said with a love-sick grin.

"Yes, and I approve." Diana teased her brother as she elbowed him a little.

"Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that, I don't wanna start a relationship with Veronica, keeping a secret from her. Have you thought about telling people? About your son?" Daniel asked her.

"It's not that I'm ashamed, Daniel. I'm just scared that I won't be able to protect him and that somehow, the Blossoms will end up raising him. I don't want that. Jason wanted out of that life for a reason and I'm not gonna throw our son to the wolves." Diana honestly said.

"You know that Derrick and I will protect you guys, right? Not only us but also the entire Kennedy clan." Daniel told her and Diana sighed.

"Okay. I'll do it this afternoon, maybe take him to Pop's and then take him to the drive-in on its closing night so he gets to at least experience the fond memories I have with his dad in those places." Diana said with a smile.

"That's all I ask, sis. Thank you for doing this. Not only for me, but also for yourself. As your twin, I can tell that this is what you really want to do. But you needed that push." Daniel said and Diana grinned at him before they hugged.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT DAY || POP'S CHOCK'LIT SHOP) -

Veronica and Betty were talking to Archie in a booth. They were showing him some stuff they found out about Ms. Grundy.

"Ms. Grundy showed up in Riverdale a year ago, out of thin air. There's no record of her before that. Her Facebook, her LinkedIn account, they were all created one year ago. Before that, she's a ghost. She doesn't exist. The only Geraldine Grundy I could find was a woman who died seven years ago." Betty explained as she laid down the evidence in front of Archie.

"How… Where did you find all this?" Archie asked.

"The deep web. The dark internet. Check it, it's all online. Simple googling." Ronnie said with a smile.

"And did you cyber-stalk Ms. Grundy before or after you interviewed her for a fake article? Why are you doing this, Betty? I already told you I ended things between us. I'm not in any danger." Archie told her.

"You don't know that. She taught Jason Blossom. Did you know that?" Betty asked him.

"She's taught a lot of people, Betty. What's your point?"

"My point is, you don't know anything about her, Archie. Doesn't it worry you that she might try on other kids what she tried on you?"

"Betty, let this go."

"Archie, please, just tell someone, even your dad."

"If you're really my friend, you'll let this go. Besides, she isn't our problem anymore." Archie told her.

"Okay. I'm sorry. I'm done. I'll stop digging." Betty told him.

The three looked up when the bell rang and they saw Daniel enter. Veronica walked over to greet him. He kissed her on the cheek and said some words to her before exiting the shop. Ronnie walked back towards the table.

"What was that about?" Betty asked Ronnie once she was seated again.

"I don't know. He just said he and Diana wanted us to meet someone, before he went back out." Ronnie told her and the three teens decided to wait for Daniel to come back with whoever he and Diana wanted them to meet.

After a few moments, the bell rang again and the teens looked back to see Daniel holding the door open for someone. That someone was Diana and she was carrying what looked to be a 6-month old red haired baby.

"Woah. Is that…" Ronnie exclaimed and trailed off as Diana and Daniel neared their table.

"Hey, guys. I'd like you to meet someone. This is Nathaniel Jason Kennedy. Nate for short. Say hi, baby." Diana introduced as she waved Nate's hand to the trio.

"Is he…?" Betty trailed off as she looked at Nate's red hair and bluish-grey eyes.

"He's mine and Jason's, Betts." Diana said as she took a seat beside Archie as Daniel sat down beside Veronica and placed an arm around her.

"I decided that I shouldn't have to keep him hidden away from people just because I was scared. My fear was what kept Jason from finding out about Nate in the first place. Nate is the reason I left Riverdale a year ago. And Jason only found out a month after he was born. Because I was scared, scared he wouldn't accept me. I doubted his love and look where it got us. He hadn't even met his son face to face yet." Diana explained as Betty and Ronnie continued to stare at Nate.

Nate, maybe sensing everyone's attention on him, suddenly turned shy and shoved his face against Diana's shirt.

"Hey, baby boy, it's okay." Diana cooed to him which made him turn his head again and see Archie.

"Cheee." He babbled as he reached over to Archie.

"Did he just say my name?" Archie asked out loud.

"You wanna go to Uncle Archie, baby?" Diana asked Nate as she turned him to face Archie.

Nate just leaned forward to reach him, not saying anything.

"Take him, Archie. You should feel lucky, that was his first word." Daniel said with a big smile, looking at his nephew.

Archie just grinned and carefully took the baby from Diana's arms. He turned the baby so Nate's back was against his front. Diana started playing with her son.

"Peek-a-boo, baby boy." She said as she covered her eyes with her hands and opened them while making silly faces.

Apparently, Nate found this funny and started laughing. Archie couldn't keep the smile off his face as he watched Diana interact with her son. He couldn't help but think of an older version of himself and Diana, doing this in the future. To outsiders, the three of them looked like they were a little family, even the other 3 teens in the booth with them agreed. Although it hurt Betty a little because she was still hung up on him but she wanted him to be safe and happy. And judging by the look on his face, right now, he was both.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT NIGHT || GRUNDY'S HOUSE) -

Even though Betty promised Archie she would drop it, she just couldn't turn her sleuthing senses and raging curiosity off. She ended up taking Veronica with her to search Ms. Grundy's car.

"So much for letting this go." Ronnie said as she followed Betty to Grundy's car.

"Are we really breaking into Grundy's car right now? How do you even know how to do that?" She whispered to Betty as Betty tried to get Ms. Grundy's car door open.

"My dad and I fix cars together. Thank God, she drives an old…" Betty trailed off as the door popped open and she got in while Veronica got in the passenger's seat.

"Okay, before going any further, if I'm committing a felony, I need to at least ask the question. Are you doing this because you still have feelings for Archie, or…" Ronnie asked and Betty cut her off.

"No, Veronica. We're doing this because Grundy had Archie under some kind of sexual spell and she might be doing this to other students, as well. We're looking for anything that proves Grundy isn't as clean as she says she is." Betty said as she began searching under her seat.

Upon finding nothing she looked at the back of the car and saw a locked security box. She brought it to the front.

"Bobby pin." She ordered Veronica.

"Okay, Ms. Gyver." Ronnie said as she took off a pin from her hair.

Betty used it to try and open the box and grinned when it worked.

"I learned that from the Nancy Drew detective handbook." She smugly stated.

"Okay, go." Ronnie ordered her to hurry up.

"Oh, my God." Betty whispered as she saw a license with Ms. Grundy's face but a different name. She showed Veronica.

"Oh, my God. Jennifer Gibson? Who the hell is Jennifer Gibson?" Ronnie wondered out loud.

"That's not the only thing." Betty stated as she held up a gun.

Veronica was shocked as well and she pushed Betty's hand that was holding the gun farther away from her.


	10. Episode 4 - The Twilight Drive-In

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || GRUNDY'S HOUSE) -

Archie still couldn't believe the news that Betty and Veronica shared to him last night. Now more than ever, he was thankful that he nipped that bud in its early stages. But his concerns were like Betty's now. What if there was another kid out there who is in the same prediction now that he was in before? That's why he made the decision to talk to Grundy about things. He knocked on her front door and she opened it. When she saw, it was him, she gave him a seductive smile.

"Well, hello, handsome. I knew you'd come running back. Are you just gonna stand there, Archie?" She said as she stepped back and gestured for him to come in but he stood his ground.

"Talk to me. What is it?" She approached him and ran her palm against his cheek but Archie dodged.

"Is your real name Jennifer Gibson? Who are you? What are you really doing here?"

"Archie…"

"The new identity, the moving place-to-place? Tell me the truth." Archie demanded.

"I… was in a bad relationship. I was married to a man who would come home from work every night, late, and drunk, and with a temper. One night, I ended up in the emergency room with broken ribs and a shattered collarbone. The next morning, he barely even remembered the fight, and he promised that it wouldn't happen again. But, it did, again. So, I left and I got a divorce, changed my name. Then I came here." She finally confessed.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER ON || EVERGREEN MANOR) -

Diana was in Nate's playroom, spending time with him, and thanking her lucky stars that she had this one great reminder of Jason. They were currently having tummy time when a knock on the door interrupted.

"Come in." Diana called out, not taking her eyes off her son.

"I hope I didn't come at a bad time?" Diana looked up and saw Archie.

She smiled at him and gestured for him to join them on the rubber mat.

"Hey, Arch. Look who's here, baby. It's Uncle Archie." Diana told Nate as she tickled his chin and he giggled happily. He saw Archie and tried his best to sit up, in which he succeeded.

"Cheee!" He happily said and Archie laughed, picking up the baby and sitting him in his lap, facing Diana who was across them.

"He likes you a lot." Diana stated as she smiled at how the two had bonded.

"Maybe it's because you have red hair and most people he's been around had blonde, brown or black. Well, except Cheryl." She continued to say and Archie just gave her a shy smile.

Diana pressed a button and moments later, the nanny came in and took Nate away for the mean time. Diana laid down on the mat and Archie followed, right beside her.

"So, what brings the lovely Mr. Andrews to my humble abode?" She teased and Archie told her all about what Betty and Veronica found out about Ms. Grundy.

"That's horrible that she had to go through that, Arch. But it still doesn't excuse the fact that she tried to seduce you." Diana reminded him.

"Yeah, and I understand that now. So, I told her that as long as she wouldn't do what she did with me to any other boy, I would keep her secret. She's worked hard to get away from her husband and I just don't wanna ruin that for her." Archie told her.

"Have you told Betty?" Diana asked and Archie nodded.

"I told her to let me do this in my own terms and she promised to drop it for good." He said with a smile and they lay there in silence for a while.

"You know, when I broke it off with her, I never understood why I did it. Break it off with her, I mean. All I knew was that it was wrong even though it didn't feel that way." Archie suddenly confessed.

"Do I hear a "but"?"

"But then, you introduced Nathaniel to me and as time passed by, I got to see it in a sort of parental perspective. And I understood it more clearly. I may not have all the answers, but it's enough to know that I did the right thing." He stated.

"Aweeeee little Archibald Andrews is all grown up. I'm so proud of you." Diana stated as she rolled over, on top of him and squeezed the life out of his cheeks like she always did.

They joked around for a while before Diana got off him and they caught their breaths from all the laughter.

"What are you planning on doing tonight?" Archie asked, trying to keep his nerves at bay.

"Well, I was planning on bringing Nate to the drive-in. You know, so he could be like my date." Diana said with a giggle.

"I was wondering if you, uh, wanted to go… with me?" Archie asked her.

"Go with you to the drive-in? Like on a date?" Diana slowly asked as if trying to comprehend what Archie was asking her.

Archie nodded slowly at her.

"I-" Diana didn't know what to say. Sure, she knew she was attracted to Archie but was she ready to start going out on dates again? Jason wasn't even buried underground yet.

"Or it could be just as friends! I swear to you, you'll have fun." Archie added.

"Archie, I would love to but, I don't think you should be dating someone like me." Diana told him.

"Because you're a Kennedy and I'm a nobody?" Archie assumed.

"No! What the hell? No. It's never about that. I meant that you should go out with a nice single girl with no extra baggage, like Betty. I mean, I have a son and-" Diana explained as she sat up sideways on the floor but was cut off by Archie.

"So? I don't care if you have Nate. I adore the little guy. He could come with us if you want him to." Archie proposed as he sat up as well and moved closer to Diana.

"People will talk, Archie." Diana said, losing the fight as their faces started gravitating towards one another.

"I don't care. Let them." And he kissed her.

 **(WITH BETTY)**

Betty was about to enter her house when her mother came out of it.

"Finally." Alice Cooper said, seeing her daughter.

"What's wrong?" Betty asked.

"What's wrong is my daughter is hiding a gun in her bedroom, and that's just for starters."

"I can explain…"

"Oh, you will. Now get in the car."

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT NIGHT || TWILIGHT DRIVE-IN) -

Diana and Archie were sitting in the bed of a padded Ford Ranger Truck. They were cuddled under a blanket and Nate was in Archie's lap, playing with a toy as Archie held him around the waist and Diana fed Archie popcorn. They were a bit unnerved by the stares people were giving them, especially Nathaniel but that aside, they were having a lot of fun. All of a sudden, Archie's phone beeped from a text message. He looked at it to see it was from Betty. She wanted him to go to the school, ASAP.

"Is everything alright?" Diana worriedly asked.

"No, uh, Betty just texted. She said we should head over to the school, right now. Her mom found out about what happened with Grundy. I'll drive?" He said as Diana took Nate from Archie and he jumped down the truck bed before helping the mother and son out.

Diana opened the back door of the car and strapped Nate into his car seat before getting into the passenger's seat. Archie drove off towards school.

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT NIGHT || COOPER RESIDENCE) -

 **(WITH BETTY)**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _That night, Fred Cooper found out that his son had fallen into the clutches of Geraldine Grundy because of my mom and her grudge against my best friend, Archie Andrews._

 _In order to cease all arguments on what course of action should be done, Ms. Grundy volunteered to leave town and never come back._

 _Love makes you do crazy things, and maybe some of what I did was wrong, but maybe… Maybe I was right about some things, too. Maybe Ms. Grundy was dangerous in some way. Tomorrow morning, when we wake up, the world will, yet again, be changed._


	11. Episode 5 - Misunderstandings

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

 _Every town has one. The spooky house that all the kids avoid. Ours was Thornhill, the Blossom family's mansion, with its very own graveyard._

 _And trapped within its walls like some gothic heroine was Cheryl Blossom. Still grieving for her beloved brother, Jason._

 _Linked in death even as they were in life._

* * *

 **(WITH CHERYL)**

She sat up from Jason's bed gasping as she had a nightmare that he had turned into a zombie and choked her. She looked to her right and saw her mother standing by the door.

"I told you, Cheryl. No more sleeping in Jason's bed." Penelope Blossom said as she entered the bedroom.

"I… I was working on the eulogy. For Jay-Jay." Cheryl tried telling her mom.

"Don't bother. You won't be speaking at his memorial. God knows what you'd say. Something to humiliate us?" She said as she picked up the piece of paper that Cheryl had written her eulogy on.

"No." Her mom continued, crumpling up the paper after glancing at it.

Cheryl didn't say anything and just stared at her mom. Just then, her phone lit up and vibrated, signaling a message. Her mom looked down and saw her wallpaper. A picture of Diana, Nate and Cheryl. Diana was holding Nate, letting him face Cheryl and Cheryl was doing a funny face, making him laugh. Penelope picked up the phone.

"Is this…" She trailed off, staring at the baby who had a tiny tuft of red hair on his head.

Cheryl gulped as she looked at her mom.

 **(WITH ARCHIE)**

He was working on a punching bag and Diana was in his bed, writing, when his dad came in.

"Hey, Rocky. Hey, Diana."

"Hey."

"Hey, Mr. Andrews."

"You know, I never thought I'd say that I miss you playing guitar, but…"

"Ah. Sorry, Dad. Just trying to get back in fighting shape for the field."

"I don't know why he feels like he's out of shape, I mean look at him." Diana stated as she trailed her eyes over Archie's shirtless form.

"So, this is all for football?"

"Coach Clayton's about to set the starting line-up, name a new captain. It's like you said. Football gets me a scholarship, which gets me to college, where I can study music. Captains get scholarships." Archie told him as he started working on the bag again.

"I'm just here to support whatever he wants to do." Diana said with a shrug.

Fred just nodded at the 2 teens before leaving the room. Diana went back to writing song lyrics in her notebook when her phone lit up with a text. She picked it up to read it.

 _Fr: Cher-bear_

 _Mom knows about Nathaniel Jason. She wants to speak with you soon. I'm so sorry, Di._

Diana cursed loudly which caught Archie's attention. He stopped boxing and looked at her worriedly.

"What's wrong?"

"Penelope Blossom knows about Nate."

"Oh Shit."

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Betty, Jughead, Diana and Kevin were in the Blue and Gold newsroom, trying to assemble a copy of Sheriff Keller's murder board.

"This is how my dad had his Jason Blossom murder board before it was trashed." Kevin told them as they all stared at it except for Diana who seemed distracted.

"Any leads on who did that? Or what they were looking for?" Jughead asked him.

"Nope. No fingerprints. But they stole a bunch of files, background checks, and all the video and audiotapes of police interviews." Kevin answered

Just then, the door opened and Trev popped in.

"Hey, Betty." He greeted.

"Trev, hi!" Betty greeted back cheerfully.

"Sorry to interrupt…"

"Oh, no… Uh, it's okay. We're just, uh, working on…" Betty struggled to explain.

"Our murder board." Jughead supplied a bit of sass.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure we're still on for tomorrow?" Trev asked.

"Absolutely, it's a date. I mean, I'll see you there. Bye." Betty finished awkwardly.

"So, I'll see you. Bye." Trev said, walking towards the door.

"So… Bye." Everyone, even Diana, was looking at Betty now.

"Going on a date with Trev?" Diana teasingly asked.

"Does Mama Cooper know about that?" Kevin continued.

"Kev, I'm not on house arrest. Okay, she's out of town at a Women in Journalism spa retreat." Betty admitted.

"Anyway. It's not a "date" date." She continued.

"You just called it a date. You literally said, "It's a date."" Jughead said, a little jealousy showing.

"Awee, is Juggy jealous?" Diana teased.

"No. Shut up, Diana." Jughead retorted which made Diana pout.

"That's just my cover. Really, it's an intelligence gathering mission. We should focus on the one thing we have access to that your dad doesn't. The kids at Riverdale High. You know, maybe Trev knows something about Jason he didn't think was important." Betty pointed out.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT DAY || SCHOOL BLEACHERS) -

Veronica, Daniel, Betty, Jughead, and Kevin were headed towards Archie and Diana in the bleachers.

"Betty, you're positively radiating Nicholas Sparks. Tell me everything about this Trev." Veronica asked as they reached the duo and found places to sit in.

"Oh, there's nothing to tell. Just one of Betty's sources, there's nothing romantic in the offing." Kevin sarcastically said.

"Why is everything weird here? Why can't a date just be a date?" Veronica wondered as she sat between Daniel's legs which were on either side of the bleacher and leaned against him and fed him some of her fries.

"Because it's a small town, Ronnie and who you're dating is important because there's kind of a big chance that you'll end up together in the future, I guess?" Diana answered as she sat on the row above Archie and leaned over to start massaging his shoulders.

"What about you, Archie? How's life in a Kennedy world?" Veronica teased.

"You're one to talk. You're literally dating the other Kennedy." Betty told her.

"Coach Clayton says I have a shot at being varsity captain. So, I'm not thinking about anything else right now. Except for Di and Nate." Archie answered which made Diana blush.

"I'm rooting for you against Reggie, bro." Daniel said as he held out a fist and fist-bumped Archie.

"Wait. Didn't you say, Coach Clayton was also looking at you to be Captain?" Jughead asked Daniel.

"Well, if it's for me then it is, but I don't wanna really think about it. Being captain would take up too much of my time; time I could use to take this little lady out." Daniel said with a grin as he tickled Ronnie's sides, which earned a laugh from her, and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm trying to get my life on track and I think being captain is one way to do it." Archie just stated.

A few seconds later, Valerie, Trev's sister and a member of the Pussycats approached them.

"I can help with that. I know Ms. Grundy was tutoring you. But there's this amazing songwriter from New York, who's an adjunct at Carson College? Incredible mentor. He does some coaching on the side and I told him about you. You wanna meet him?" She offered, looking at Archie.

"Yeah, yeah I'd love to, but football…." Archie tried to say but was cut off by Betty.

"No, Archie can. And he will." She said as she patted Archie's arm.

"Call him if you want, but do it soon. His spots fill up fast." She said as she inserted a piece of paper into his jacket's front pocket and patted it, obviously trying to flirt.

Diana straightened a little and watched Valerie like a hawk, silently.

"Thank you, Val." Archie politely said and Valerie took her leave.

"Hey, now you have zero excuse for avoiding music." Betty said as everyone silently agreed.

Diana still hadn't spoken up when Cheryl appeared.

"Sorry to interrupt Sad Breakfast Club, but I'm here to formally invite you to Jason's memorial at Thornhill this weekend." She said as she handed out black colored invitations.

"To my surprise and chagrin, mother added you to the guest-list." She stated as she looked at Veronica and handed her an invite.

"In case you're tempted to steal our silver candlesticks, don't. We'll be searching bags." Cheryl continued to say.

"Oh, come on, Cher. You didn't have to add that last part." Daniel complained, coming into Ronnie's defense.

Cheryl didn't bother replying and looked at Diana who had spaced out and was silently crying again.

"Diana, dear, please come with me. I need your help handing these out." She said nicely, still feeling guilty for her parents finding out about Nate.

"Uh, yeah, sure. I'll come with." Diana hurriedly stood up as she secretly wiped away her tears and rushed a goodbye to everyone before leaving with Cheryl.

"Was it just me or was she silent the whole time since Valerie flirted with Archie?" Kevin asked the group.

"I noticed that as well. And she cried when Cheryl handed her the invite." Jughead added, ever the observant guy.

"What? She was crying? I'm gonna go after her." Archie stated as he stood up to follow but Daniel stopped him.

"Don't, Arch. Just give her time to process. Getting an invite to your ex-fiancé's funeral has to be a punch in the gut to her. She's trying to hide it because she cares for you, she really does. And she doesn't want you to feel like you'll always be second best but she's not 100% over the fact that Jason's gone, you know. No one heals that fast." Daniel told him and Archie just sighed but nodded in understanding.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT NIGHT || THORNHILL MANSION) -

Diana and Daniel drove in the gates as Cheryl and her parents stood waiting by the door.

"Daniel, I'm scared. What if they try to take Nate away from me?" Diana told her brother from her seat beside Nate at the back.

"Don't worry about that. We won't allow that to happen. If they so much as try, there'll be hell to pay." Daniel assured her and she nodded.

Daniel parked the car in front of the main doors and got out to open the door for her sister. Meanwhile, Diana got Nate out of his car seat and ready to meet his grandparents.

"Hi, baby. We'll be meeting Nana and Pops today, alright? You'll be a good boy for mommy, aren't you?" She said as she kissed him in the forehead as he babbled aimlessly.

Daniel opened the door and Diana stepped out carefully, Nathaniel in her arms. A gasp made her look up to where the Blossom family were standing and saw Penelope and Cheryl walking towards them with Clifford not far behind.

"Diana, he's…" Penelope tried to say, tears brimming in her eyes as she looked at her grandson.

Cheryl smiled as she took the babbling baby from Diana.

"Aunt Penelope, Uncle Clifford, meet Nathaniel Jason." Diana nervously said as she looked at Jason's parents who had their eyes on the baby Cheryl was holding.

"May I?" Penelope asked as she gestured to carry the baby and Diana nodded.

"Nathaniel Jason Blossom?" Clifford asked Diana and Daniel.

"No, Uncle. I'm sorry. They wouldn't allow me to give him his father's last name without a letter of consent from him or his family seeing as we weren't married." Diana explained sadly.

"Nathaniel Jason Kennedy then?" Penelope clarified and Diana smiled.

"Nathaniel Jason Blossom-Kennedy. I inverted both last names so he at least had a part of his dad in him, apart from the hair, of course." Diana laughed a little.

Penelope started heading indoors, still absorbed in Nate who was in her arms and they all turned to follow.

"He looks exactly like Jason did at this age, apart from the eyes. Those are gorgeous Kennedy eyes." Cheryl pointed out and both grandparents agreed.

Diana and Daniel stayed for a couple of hours there. They had dinner and they watched Penelope and Clifford interact with Nate, like doting grandparents.

"I wish they were like that when Jay-Jay and I were growing up. But at least you guys' son gets to experience that with them." Cheryl stated.

Diana patted her on the back, comfortingly.

"I'm still sorry that they found out, Di. I know you weren't necessarily trying to hide it from anyone, but I also know you were hoping to keep it from them longer." Cheryl apologized.

"You don't need to apologize, Cheryl. Look at them, your mom especially. It must have been hard for her to lose one kid. I'm just glad I could help them both heal and maybe give them closure." Diana stated.

About an hour later, Nate was getting sleepy and Diana and Daniel thanked the Blossoms for their hospitality as they turned to leave.

"Are you sure you guys don't wanna spend the night? Diana, you could sleep in Jason's room, we'll have his old crib set up there, it's still in mint condition, just until we can purchase a new one." Penelope stated, her eyes on Nate's sleepy form in Diana's arms.

"Maybe next time, Aunt Penelope. I didn't bring any stuff for Nate to stay overnight." Diana answered and they all bid their goodbyes to each other before Daniel and Diana drove out of Thornhill.

"Bro, can you drop me off at Archie's place? I kind of feel bad that I've ignored him a bit yesterday and today because of how nervous I was for this meeting. I just wanna explain." She told her brother and he nodded, looking at her on the rearview mirror.

"Are you sleeping over there?" He asked.

"Maybe. I'll text you if something comes up." She answered and he drove her to the Andrews' Residence.

She knocked on the door and Fred opened it.

"Oh, hey, Diana. I didn't expect to see you here tonight." He stated.

"Hey, Uncle Fred. Is Archie in? I kind of needed to talk to him about something." Diana asked.

"Yeah, go on right up to his room. You staying the night?" Fred asked as he made his way back to the living room couch.

"Maybe? Can I?" She said with a smile and Fred rolled his eyes.

"Door unlocked at all times. I will be coming to check on you." He told her as she was walking towards the stairs.

"Thanks, Uncle Fred." She said as she climbed up the stairs.

"Hey, Arch, I wa-" She started to say as she opened the door but stopped when she saw Archie and Valerie sitting a little too close for comfort. They looked like they were about to kiss.

"Oh, I didn't know you had guests over." Diana pointed out.

"Uh, hey, Diana. I was just-" Valerie spoke up but was cut off.

"You don't need to explain anything. I guess, I'll, uh, see you tomorrow, Archibald." Diana said as she hurriedly closed the door and ran down the stair before heading for the front door.

"Diana? I thought you were staying over?" Fred called out to her but his question remained unanswered when he heard the front door slam.

He looked confused until a while later, Archie and Valerie came downstairs.

"Oh, I didn't know Valerie was still here this late." Fred stated.

"Yeah, she just helped me finish, dad. She's going home now." Archie told him.

"Well, okay then." Fred hesitantly agree and watched as Valerie said her goodbyes before leaving.

"Did you and Diana have a fight?" Fred asked him.

"No, we didn't. Why?" Archie was clueless.

"Well she sure ran out of here fast. I didn't think her house was that near that someone could pick her up that fast." Fred pointed out.

"You mean she didn't drive her car?" Archie asked, shocked.

"No, when I opened the door, there was no car in the front of our house." Fred informed him.

Archie rushed to get the keys to his dad's truck and rushed towards the front door.

"I have to go find her, Dad. Maybe she's out there walking home alone." He said as he exited the house.

He went inside his dad's truck, started it up and drove towards the direction of Diana's house. He was halfway there when he got a call from Daniel. He picked it up.

"He-"

"I thought you said you'd never make her cry? What the fuck did you do? You better be ready when I see you tomorrow, Andrews." Daniel said before ending the call which left Archie confused.

He parked the truck to the side of the road and thought about what he did wrong. That was when he realized that Val's face had been close to his and they had been talking when Diana entered the room, which must have looked like they were about to kiss.

' _God, why am I so stupid at times?'_ He asked himself as he drove back home, getting into bed and trying his best to drift off to sleep.


	12. Episode 5 - Goodbyes and New Beginnings

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Archie had gotten zero sleep the night before. Too worried thinking about Diana to actually drift off. When he got to school, he expected her to be by her locker which was close to his like she was every morning, but she wasn't. He also wasn't able to review the plays that Coach Clayton wanted him to remember because he was writing music last night and was out of focus this morning so he had to write it down on his wrist before practice. Because he didn't know the entire play by heart, he got his wrist injured. He was currently sitting on a bench in one of the hallways, trying to wrap his wrist by himself. That moment, Diana, Ronnie and a few other cheerleaders were passing by. Ronnie noticed Archie.

"Di, look at Archie. I think he's injured himself. Go help him. I'll see you later." Ronnie told Diana and pushed her in Archie's direction.

Diana rolled her eyes as Ronnie left her before sighing and walking to where Archie sat. He looked up and noticed her, looking sheepish before holding out that bandage roll. Diana set her bag on the chair and sat next to him.

"Isn't this your "playing" hand?" She asked as he nodded.

"Archie. This hand is your instrument. You need to take better care of it. And stop hurting yourself while you're at it." She said as she started wrapping it up gently.

"I'm not." Archie denied.

"You sure?"

"I got slammed because I didn't know the play. I didn't know the play because, like an idiot, instead of memorizing them last night, I was working on my songs with Valerie. And then you came and left abruptly and I didn't even notice that I did anything wrong until Daniel called me. He said I made you cry. God, I'm such an idiot." Archie said as he looked at her, trying to get her to meet his eyes.

"Valerie, huh?" Diana said as she gave him a small smile.

"She was just helping me with songs, Di. You were busy last night because of the Blossoms and I respect that. You know that I-" Archie tried to explain but Diana cut him off.

"No, I should endorse this. You deserve better than me, Arch. I shouldn't be surprised if sooner or later, you realize that." She said with a sad smile as she finished up with his hand.

"Di, please listen to me. I-" Archie tried to say again but Diana cut him off once more.

"Okay. Good as new. But try to take better care of it." She said as she gently ran her fingers over the bandages before she lifted it up and kissed his wrist.

She didn't even let him try to explain as she hurriedly left. Archie sighed deeply and leaned back as he tried to think of a way to tell Diana how he really felt about her.

-TIMESKIP (NIGHT BEFORE JASON'S MEMORIAL || THORNHILL MANSION) -

After the tensest dinner ever with the Blossoms, Cheryl and Veronica, Diana and the 2 other girls were currently in Cheryl's bedroom, looking at Jason's old pictures.

"I hope this isn't weird but, Jason was crazy handsome." Ronnie pointed out.

"The handsomest." Diana stated, smiling softly as she looked at one of their photos together.

"Something tells me he would've liked you." Cheryl told Ronnie and Diana nodded in agreement.

"Why did you invite me tonight, Cheryl? Why not Tina? Or Ginger? Arent they your besties aside from Diana?" Ronnie asked.

"And yet, that night at the pep rally, after I had my panic attack, you and Diana helped me. Not them." Cheryl stated.

Ronnie was about to speak up again when there was a knock on the door. It opened to reveal Penelope carrying a sleepy Nate.

"It's someone's bed time." She said with a smile as she looked down at her grandson.

Diana smiled at her as she got up from her position on the bed.

"I got him Aunt Penelope." Diana told her.

"You and Nate can have Jason's room tonight. All brand-new things for Nate has been set up there. Of course, none of Jason's belongings have been touched. You're free to come over anytime." Penelope told Diana and the girl just gave a smile.

"Thank Aunt Penelope. I guess it's bedtime for my little man. Good night girls, good night Aunt Penelope. Say goodnight to nana, baby." She said, speaking to Nate as the baby yawned.

Penelope went with them to Jason's bedroom, showing her where they had placed all the baby's stuff and leaving afterwards. Diana sighed as she changed Nate and rocked him to sleep. She stood there, swaying back and forth, and looking down at the life that she and Jason had created. Sure, he was created by accident, but Diana would never change a thing. Nathaniel was her living reminder of Jason and his love for her.

"I love you, baby boy." She whispered to her already sleeping son before kissing his forehead and placing him down on the crib.

She made her way to Jason's bed and looked at it. The last time she was in this room, over a year ago, he was still alive, holding her close to him, promising that he would always be there to protect her. She laid down on her usual side of the bed and ran her hand to feel his side. It was cold and empty. She missed his warmth, his smile, his eyes, his personality, but most of all, she missed his love. She didn't notice when she started crying but she couldn't stop the tears.

' _I miss you so so so much, Jase. I still can't believe you're gone. I try to be strong for everyone, I even try to move on knowing that you wouldn't want me to be stuck limbo-like forever. Why'd you leave me? Didn't you promise that you'll always be here to protect me? Why'd you break that promise?'_ She thought as she cried.

' _I'm sorry I failed you; that I failed us. I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough to tell you I was pregnant in the first place. I'm sorry that I left without saying goodbye. I'm sorry that you never got to meet our son face-to-face. I'm sorry if I'm starting to fall for someone else. I promise that I'll never forget you, Jase. I just wanna hear your voice one more time. In your last few days, I never got to tell you how much I love you, and how much you meant to me. But most of all, I never got to say goodbye.'_ She had curled up into a ball when she felt a warm presence around her, almost as if there was something or someone hugging her from behind.

' _I love you, Saph. My precious jewel.'_ It echoed in her mind like it was spoken out loud and she had heard it. She cried even more.

' _I love you, Jase. So much. You'll always be a part of me. Tattooed in my heart forever. I promise to help catch whoever did this to you. They will pay.'_ She thought again before she succumbed into a dreamless sleep.

-TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || THORNHILL MANSION) -

Cheryl, Diana and Veronica were finishing getting ready for the memorial. The guests have already arrived and they were expected downstairs. Nate was in Cheryl's bed, wearing all black as well.

"You ready?" Ronnie asked Cheryl who was looking at her reflection in the mirror.

"Just about." Cheryl replied.

"Well, I have to go by Jason's room and feed Nate for a while so I'll see you later guys." Diana said as she picked up Nate and exited the room.

"You go ahead. I'll be down." Cheryl told Veronica after a beat.

"Okay." Veronica replied and took her leave.

 **(WITH ARCHIE)**

He looked around and spotted Penelope Blossom about to walk by. He stood up from his seat and in front of her.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Blossom. I thought you might want to have this." Archie said as he held out Jason's jersey to her.

"You're so much like him." She said, distracted as she traced his face and hair with her fingers. She then snapped out of it.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you, Archibald." She said as she took it from him and proceeded to the front.

"Did she just touch your hair?" Kevin asked him as he sat down again.

"That was really sweet, what you did." Betty encouraged.

"She deserves it. More than I do." Archie told them.

"Days like today really put things in perspective, huh? I mean, at least we're here. At least we're alive." Veronica pointed out to them before taking a seat beside Daniel, who was in front of the group.

Archie looked at them as Daniel held Veronica's hand and kissed. Ronnie let go of his hand to caress his cheek before resting her hand against his knee and patting it comfortingly. This reminded him of the unresolved things between him and Diana. Just as he was about to ask Veronica where she was, Diana entered the room, carrying Nathaniel who looked so much like Jason that time, it wasn't a question whose son he was. Diana walked through the center aisle and approached Penelope who had stood to meet them. Diana turned to face the crowd, her eyes landing on Archie and on the person to his left, Valerie. Archie was about to stand up and talk to her when she quickly avoided eye contact. Archie just stared. She was wearing a black flowy sleeveless dress which ended above the knee with a silver belt and black wedges. Her hair was in an up-do with tiny ringlets framing her face, Archie thought she looked like a fallen angel.

The whole group watched as Penelope fussed over her grandson who was still in Diana's arms. The Blossom matriarch gestured to Jason's jersey and Diana shook her head before opening the black jacket Nate was wearing and revealed a baby version of said jersey. Penelope gasped in surprise, a few tears fell from her face before taking her grandson from his mother's arms and walking towards Clifford who was off to the side. Diana just smiled at the two before she walked over to her friends.

"Hey guys, on behalf of the Blossom family, thank you for coming." She said as she nervously played with the rings in her necklace with her left hand which proudly displayed her engagement ring.

"There's nowhere else we'd rather be, Jewel." Jughead said, calling her by that special nickname.

Archie was about to ask her if they could talk when everyone turned their heads towards the back. They saw Cheryl walk in wearing the exact same thing she wore the last time she was with her twin brother, down by Sweetwater River on July 4th. Penelope and Clifford looked shocked and Diana immediately approached the couple, took Nate from them and stood beside them.

"Welcome to Thornhill. Thank you all for coming. If you'll kindly take your seats. I'd like to start the memorial with a few words about Jason." Cheryl spoke and Penelope tried to get up from her seat to stop her but was stopped by Clifford and Veronica.

"The last time I saw Jason, I was wearing this dress. I know it's impossible. But I swear, when I put it on, it… It feels like he's in the room with me. Even though we were twins, I used to demand I have my own birthday party. Until one year, out of the blue, Jason convinced me we had to combine them into one. It wasn't until years later, I found out why. It was because no one wanted to come to mine. And Jason didn't want me to know. He protected me. Every single day. I wish, that day at the river, I had protected him." She had broken down and was holding on to Jason's coffin.

"I'm so sorry, Jay-Jay. We failed you. All of us." She sobbed.

Diana, Veronica and Daniel immediately stepped up. Diana handed Nate over to Daniel while she and Ronnie consoled Cheryl. After a few moments, Penelope stood at the podium.

"I think we'll adjourn now to the Winter Salon for a light supper." She stated and everyone followed the directions they were given.

 **(WITH BETTY AND JUGHEAD)**

"Is it me or did the temperature just drop like it does in horror movies?" Betty asked Jughead as they snuck into Jason's room.

"That's just the icy chill of the dead." He replied and Betty gestured to the big room.

"Where does a teenage boy hide things?" She asked.

"Under the mattresses, maybe in the drawers, behind the headboard, in the closet." Jughead said as they began their search.

"Hello." Someone spoke out and they both quickly turned to see Nana Rose, turn in her wheelchair.

"I'm so sorry, we were just leaving." Betty stated, trying to get the shock out of her system.

"Oh. It's you. How lovely to see you again. Come closer, I wanna get a good look at you. Come closer, Polly dear." Nana Rose requested.

"It's nice to see you again, too." Betty played along.

"I'm sorry it had to be under such terrible circumstances." She continued.

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER THE MEMORIAL || THORNHILL MANSION) -

Diana was busy thanking guests as they were leaving, when Archie approached her.

"Hey." He greeted.

"Hello." She replied.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure. I'll just say goodbye to the Blossoms, leave Nate with Daniel and then we can head over to Pop Tate's." She said and Archie nodded as she gave him the keys to her car so he could wait there.

Diana had finished saying goodbye to Penelope, Clifford and Cheryl and was currently headed to Jason's room to grab her overnight bag. She noticed Nana Rose in the middle of the room.

"Oh, hello, Nana Rose." Diana greeted the old woman.

"Diana, dear, come here for a second." She said, gesturing Diana to take a seat in front of her so Diana did.

Nana Rose held her hands and looked at her engagement ring before tracing it with her fingers.

"My grandson loved you so much, he gave you this ring. He said he didn't want you tainted with old Blossom history so he didn't give you the heirloom I offered him. Even though Jason's gone, you keep it close to your heart, always." Nana Rose advised her.

"Of course, Nana. I promise." Diana told her gently.

"Such a shame. Your wedding was the last thing I was living for. I lost a grandson, but you, you've lost the love of your young life. Poor child." She stated and Diana smiled sadly at her.

"At least I'll have Nate to serve as my everyday reminder. I hope he grows up to be like his dad." Diana said before hugging the old woman.

She bid her goodbyes and picked up her bag before she joined Archie who was waiting in her car. They drove off to Pop Tate's. When they got there, they sat in a booth and ordered milkshakes and remained silent until their orders arrived. Archie spoke up first.

"Diana. About what you said the other day, that I deserved someone better, I just wanna tell you that you are that someone. Even if you say there's someone better than you, it wouldn't be enough for me because they aren't you. And I know that you aren't over Jason completely and I respect that, but please, just let me help you and Nate through it. I don't want you going through this alone. I care about you. A lot. Please let me take care of you." He said as he grabbed both of her hands in his and held on tightly, pressing a kiss to them.

"Archie. I just, I don't want you having any regrets. I don't want to make you feel like you're holding back a part of your life because of me, and because of Nate. If you choose someone else, then I'll understand. We could still be friends, I promise you won't lose me." Diana told him.

"But that's just it, Diana. I don't want anyone else. If you're thinking about Valerie, she's just a friend who was helping me with my music. That's all there is. I won't ever choose anyone else. I just want you." He replied.

Diana saw the vulnerability in his eyes and the honesty in his words.

"I believe you. But please, if you feel like you don't want to anymore, just tell me. I promise I won't hate you for it, and I'll let you walk away. You mean a lot to me, Arch. And to Nate as well. You've brought back feelings I never thought I would have ever again. And I care about you a lot, too." Diana said as she took her hands from his grip and intertwined their hands instead.

Archie crossed over to her side of the booth and sat beside her.

"Does this mean you'll let me take care of you? You'll be mine?" He asked with a grin and Diana nodded yes before he kissed her.

"There is something else, though." Archie said as he pulled away from the kiss.

"Castillo doesn't think I have the chops to make it big in the music industry." He stated, looking down sadly.

Diana laughed softly before lifting his chin up.

"And since when did you let anyone ever stop you from doing anything you set your mind to? You don't need his help, I know you can do this." She told him as she rubbed his cheek.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || COACH CLAYTON'S OFFICE) -

Coach Clayton was talking to Reggie and Archie.

"I saw a lot of fire and hustle from both of you this week. It was almost too close to call. Now, I originally offered this position to Daniel Kennedy, even though he was gone for a year, he will always be one of the best players I have ever had, but he turned me down. Reggie, your time will come. But for this season, at least, this is a new number, seeing that you took it upon yourself to retire Jason's. Which was the right call. You know exactly what a captain should and would do." Coach Clayton said, holding the jersey out to Archie who was looking out the window on the door to see Diana, waiting outside, talking to some people with a smile.

"I… can't. I can't, Coach. I love playing football, but your starting line-up deserves a captain whose only love is football. Someone like Reggie." Archie pointed out.

"What? I mean, yeah." Reggie was shocked at first but then just went with it.

"What? You're quitting on me, Andrews?" Coach asked him.

"No, and I really hope you don't cut me, Coach. Cause I friggin' love being a Bulldog. But that part of me that I would have to give to you if I were captain, I gotta save that for something else." Archie stated, nodding to his new captain and his coach before exiting the office.

He approached Diana and the group of people. When Diana noticed him, she stopped leaning against the lockers and approached him, putting an arm around his waist.

"So, how was it? Am I looking at Riverdale High's newest football captain?" She asked him, excited.

"Well, I got chosen." Archie started saying.

"Arch, this is great! We should celebrate by-" Diana started to say but Archie cut her off.

"I got the position… But I turned it down and gave it to Reggie instead. I want to devote more time to my music and to you. And both, when you're helping me with my music." Archie said with a smile as he placed an arm around her shoulder and kissed the side of her head.

"Cheesy." Diana teased him.

"You love it."

* * *

 _Every town had one. The house on the haunted hill all the kids avoid. Now that Jason was buried in the earth, it would only be a matter of time until something poisonous bloomed. In that long, cold shadow cast by his death._

 _Whatever grew in the rich black soil of the Blossom's garden always found its way to the town. Whether it was murder. Or love. Or secrets. Or lies._

* * *

"Juggie, I feel like I don't even know who my mom and dad are anymore." Betty admitted.

"Betty… if your parents lied about Jason and Polly, there's probably more that they lied about." Jughead told her.

"What do you mean?"

"Your dad said he would do anything to protect Polly. So, the next logical question is… How far would he go to protect her?" Jughead explained.

"Jughead, whoever broke into Sheriff Keller's house and stole all his evidence wasn't at the drive-in. My dad wasn't at the drive-in." Betty stated.

Jughead handed Betty a card with 'the Coopers' on it and Betty pinned it on to their murder wall of Jason Blossom.

"We need to talk to Polly." Jughead said.


	13. Episode 6 - Auditions & Polly Cooper

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

 _Fear._

 _It's the most basic, the most human emotion._

 _As kids, we're afraid of everything. The dark… the boogeyman under the bed… And we pray for morning. For the monsters to go away. Though they never do. Not really. Just ask Jason Blossom._

 _Another fun fact about fear. Sometimes, it grows up with you. Or it curls up inside of you, tightens around your guts._

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (TALENT SHOW AUDITIONS || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Archie sighed as he read Diana's text about not being able to come on time to watch him audition for the Variety Show. It was his turn and he got up onstage.

"And what will you be singing with?" Kevin asked him as he was in charge of the performances for the show.

"Uh, an original song that I wrote called 'I'll Try'" Archie nervously said.

"Try harder! Maybe try not sucking so much." Reggie called out and the football guys who were with him laughed.

"Take your time, Archie. Though we do have people waiting." Kevin reminded him as he just stood there.

"Oh, my God, what's happening?" Ronnie asked out loud as she had gone to watch and support Archie.

"He's choking." Josie said behind her.

"Archie? Clock's ticking." Kevin told him.

"Excuse me. Sorry, I gotta go." He said as he gave in to the nerves and ran off stage while Reggie and his group cheered.

 _ **A little while later**_

Archie was hiding out by the bleachers when he got a text from Diana.

 _Fr: Di 3_

 _I'm free now. Where are u?_

He sighed and typed in a reply informing her that he was by the bleachers. A few minutes later, she arrived.

"Sorry, I wasn't able to go, Arch. Since Cheryl's parents made her stop joining the River Vixens, I had to be the one to step up and help come up with routines. How did it go?" Diana asked with a smile as she looked at Archie.

Her face dropped when she saw the expression on his face.

"Not good, I'm guessing. Come here. Wanna talk about it?" She asked him as she sat on the bleacher and made him lay down with his head in her lap. She ran her hands comfortingly through his hair and he closed his eyes and sighed.

"When I was up there, looking out… I don't know, I just froze." He told her.

"That was stage fright, Archie." Diana told him.

"Yeah, but when I'm on the football field, the stands can be packed. And it doesn't affect my game at all." Archie explained.

"Think of it this way, when you're playing football, you're wearing protective padding and a helmet, people can't really see you. When you're on stage and singing, people look at your face, your stature, your emotions and whatever else. Singing makes you feel vulnerable in a way that football doesn't." Diana told him.

"Or maybe what I was missing out there onstage was my team. Or at least a partner. What if we sang 'I Got You'? The song that Valerie helped me write?" Archie propositioned.

"Arch, have you ever noticed me singing in public?" Diana asked him.

"Now that I think about it, no." Archie told her.

"It's because just like you, I have a severe case of stage fright. I never got over it. That's why I want you to overcome this. Don't let fear ruin things for you like it did for me." Diana told him.

"We can overcome them together?" Archie offered as he fired up his puppy dog eyes.

Diana laughed and then sighed before answering.

"You know those eyes are irresistible."

"So, does that mean, yes?" Archie said as he sat up and fought a grin of his face as Diana shrugged.

"It's a we'll see."

 **(WITH BETTY AND JUGHEAD)**

They were at the Blue and Gold newsroom, discussing what Betty found from her mom that morning.

"The Sisters of Quiet Mercy. What is that? Like a church? Or a charity?" Betty asked out loud and Jughead fired the search engine.

"No. It's a home for troubled youths. Where disenfranchised teens will learn such virtues as discipline and respect, enjoying lives of quiet reflection and servitude." Jughead read from the site.

"Poor Polly." It was all Betty could say.

\- TIMESKIP (LUNCH PERIOD || OUTSIDE SCHOOL) -

Betty and Jughead sat beside one another as Diana and Archie sat on the other side.

"It's been months. There's gotta be a reason my mom and dad don't want me to see Polly. But I don't care anymore." Betty told Jughead.

"What are you guys talking about? Anything we can help with?" Archie asked them both.

"What we're attempting is a stealth operation, Archie. If we go in there with the entire Scooby Gang, forget it, we're compromised."

"Oooooh, Scooby Gang. Can I be Daphne? And besides, I heard Polly's name. If you guys are going to find her, I want in. Bonus is, I have a car so you guys don't have to take the bus." Diana told them with a smile.

"Well, don't you have to practice for the Variety Show anyways?" Betty asked Archie so he doesn't feel bad about being left out.

"Uh, no, I don't." Archie said.

"Except that yes, you do. Thanks to a certain Veronica-ex-machina." Ronnie stated as she sat down beside Diana.

"What do you mean?" Diana asked her.

"Oh, nothing. Just that I had a few words with our director/host, and reminded him that he's heard you sing on numerous occasions." Ronnie happily said.

"Even though it compromises my artistic integrity." Kevin complained.

"Cutting to the chase, you have a slot if you want it." Ronnie stated.

"Veronica, thank you, but you saw what happened." Archie said.

"We all did." Kevin sassed.

"Hey, chill out, Kev." Daniel told him.

"Playing my songs in front of you guys is one thing, but getting back up on that stage by myself… I'm not sure I'm ready for that." Archie confessed.

"Simple. Let Diana sing with you." Daniel said as he took a bite out of a hotdog sandwich.

"Diana, I didn't know you could sing." Betty stated.

"I don't. Not in public, at least." Diana said as she glared at her brother.

"I've heard her a few times and it's out of this world." Archie informed them.

"So, what do you say, babe? Be the Bey to my Jay?" He asked with a shy grin.

Diana slapped his arm jokingly but sighed before nodding.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || STUDENT LOUNGE) -

Diana walked into the lounge to find Archie with Valerie, going over the song.

"Uh, hey, am I missing something here?" Diana laughed a little as she looked at the two.

"Di, hey. Great news! Valerie quit the Pussycats when she heard that we'd be doing the song I wrote with her." Archie said with a smile.

"And that makes me what, then? Backup?" Diana said as she started feeling mad.

"No. I mean, you were only forced to do it because of me, right?" Archie asked her.

"I, uh, guess I'm not needed here, oh, wow. I gotta Zayn." Diana said as she felt the tears coming and exited the room before anyone could notice.

She was walking with her head down, trying not to let anyone see her cry when she bumped into someone. She made the mistake of looking up and into Daniel and Veronica.

"Hey, what's wrong, sis?" Daniel asked worriedly as he dragged her to an empty classroom and began to check her for injuries; Veronica behind him.

"A-archie. I was nervous at first when I agreed to sing with him but then I got excited the more I thought about it. Then when I came into the student lounge, he told me he didn't need me to sing with him anymore because Valerie quit the Pussycats when she heard we were playing the song she helped write." Diana tearfully told her brother and Ronnie.

"What? Oh, that ginger is going down." Ronnie said as she stormed off the classroom and towards the student lounge.

"I gotta go stop my girlfriend from beating your boy up, no matter how much I want her to. Look for Jug and Betty, okay? They might be in the newsroom." He hurriedly said, pecked her on the cheek and left to go after Ronnie.

 **(WITH ARCHIE AND VALERIE)**

They were going through the song again when Veronica stormed in.

"You literally have zero loyalty, you ginger Judas!" She screamed at Archie, shocking him.

"Okay. Hey, Ronnie. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong, Archie, besides the fact that you have no integrity whatsoever is that this girl is obviously into you and you're stupid enough to drop Diana and let her get close instead. And your father kissed my mother." Veronica pointed out.

"Um, maybe I should leave." Valerie stated as she tried to make her way to the door when Ronnie blocked her.

"Uh uh. I don't think so. You'll stay right there and listen well." Ronnie ordered.

"Wait, wait. Can we just talk about this? When my dad told me how he felt, it seemed like they were both really into each other." Archie asked, clueless as ever.

"They're married to other people." Veronica retorted.

"Hey, my mom and dad are separated and your dad is…"

"My dad is what?"

"He's… He's incarcerated, right?"

"That is so not the point, Archie! And starting now, both of you are officially not allowed to approach Diana Kennedy unless she approaches you first." Veronica screamed.

"Of course not. Of course not. I'm sorry. You're right. Do you wanna talk about it? We can go somewhere and talk. And what about Diana? Does she want her part back?" Archie negotiated.

"Oh, don't do me or her any favors, Archie. I'm a Lodge, I'm independent. And she's a Kennedy. And no matter how much she may try to convince you that you deserve better than her, it's the other way around. If you keep hurting her like this, then maybe she deserves better than you." Ronnie stated, looking at Archie before turning to walk to the door where Daniel stood and they left.

 **(WITH VERONICA AND DANIEL)**

Veronica spotted a poster in one of the walls, she tore it down and grabbed Daniel's hand.

"Babe, you need to come with me." She said, dragging him along to a room where she saw Josie and Mel setting up posters like the one she was holding.

"You're hunt for a new Pussycat is over. I can sing, and I've got a lot of aggression that needs channeling into something positive." Veronica told them.

Pretty soon, she got accepted into the group and Veronica said good bye to Daniel, promising to meet him later, as the duo dragged her someplace else. Later that day, they gave her cat ears to put on and they decided to debut their newest member by walking into the halls like they would in a runway.

Veronica saw Archie talking to Valerie and she smirked at them. She saw Daniel with Kevin and blew him a kiss and a wink.

 **(WITH DANIEL AND KEVIN)**

"Was that really Veronica? What in the world…" Kevin trailed off as the girls passed by.

"Don't even ask, Kev. She's doing this to get back at Valerie for coming in between Diana and Archie. Just leave her to do what she wants to do." Daniel told him.

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER SCHOOL || THE SISTERS OF QUIET MERCY) -

 **(WITH BETTY, JUGHEAD, AND DIANA)**

The three of them sighed as Diana parked the car and they got out and looked at the building.

"Hey. Don't judge a home for troubled youths by its façade, right?" Jughead said, trying to take the tension away.

Diana put arm around Betty as they walked towards the building and inside. They went to the receptionist.

"Hi. My name is Elizabeth Cooper and this is Diana Kennedy. We're here to see my sister, Polly." She told the lady.

"May I see some identification?" Diana gave her driver's license while Betty gave her school ID.

"Sign in here, please." She told the girls after checking their IDs, then he looked at Jughead.

"He'll have to wait."

Soon, they were being escorted by the receptionist to where Polly was located.

"Polly's room is right this way. Though right now it's silent reflection time, and she usually spends that time in the Garden of Deliverance." She said as she showed them Polly's room before showing them the garden.

Diana decided to stay back first and let Betty have a moment with Polly.

"Polly?" Betty hesitantly called and almost cried when her sister turned around.

"Betty. Oh, my God." She said and the sisters hugged.

"You found us."

"You're… Polly… You're… With Jason's…" Betty assumed, stuttering but Polly cut her off.

"No, Jason was a good boyfriend and friend but it's Chuck's. But, please be happy for me, Betty." Polly begged her sister.

"I am, Polly. I'm just… I am so sorry I didn't come sooner. I should've, but Mom and Dad… they stopped…" Betty tried to explain.

"No. What did they tell you? That I was on drugs? Alcohol?" Polly asked.

"They said you were sick. That you tried to hurt yourself."

"And they told me you didn't want to come and see me, which I knew was a lie."

"So, they locked you up because you're pregnant?"

"It's because they couldn't control me, Betty. And because mom and dad never knew that something happened between Chuck and I. They believe it's Jason's baby. But Jason and I, although we dated, we never did anything more than make-out. I think it was because he didn't want to pressure me, knowing what happened with Chuck and because he was still very much in love with Diana. I was fine with our breakup and we were good friends. When I told, him I was pregnant, I was scared, Betty. Scared because I knew Chuck would never take responsibility and also because of what mom and dad could do, despite who the father was. So, he told me he was gonna help me run away and start anew. He told me his plan to fake his death and meet-up with Diana, told me he had a son with her and that he wouldn't allow his parents to have the power to control his family. So, on July 4th, I woke up, I packed a bag, and I went downstairs, to start a new life. Just my baby and I. I was gonna meet Jason on the other side of Sweetwater River. But Mom and Dad found out about everything. When I went downstairs, there was a woman I didn't know sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea with two men behind her." Polly recounted.

"Oh, my God."

"They threw me in the back of a van. I was screaming. I don't think I stopped screaming until I got here, in this place." Polly told her.

"Have you talked to him? Did he go through with the plan, even without me? Is he with Diana, now? Does he know that I'm here?" Polly rapid-fired questions.

"Who, Polly?" Betty asked, confused.

"Jason. If I give him a message, will you make sure it gets to him?" Polly asked her.

"Polly, Jason…" Betty trailed off.

"Is he mad at me because he thinks I ditched him? He knows that I'm here because of Mom and Dad, right?" Polly asked her sister.

"Polly, you don't understand."

"I can fix this, Betty. I know I can. You just have to help me get out of here, and then I'll go to meet him. I'll go to the car on the lost highway off of Route 40. Once you pass the old maple syrup sign, then you'll know you're almost there. See? I remember. I'm packed. He'll drop me off in a farm just like we agreed…" Polly said.

"Polly, stop."

"What's the matter, Betty?" This time, Betty looked over at Diana who sighed before stepping out of hiding.

"Polly." She said and Polly turned to face her.

"Diana! I never thought I'd see you again. Jason said he would never take you guys back here if he got to you. What changed his mind?" Polly asked as she hugged Diana.

"Jason…" Diana tried to say.

"What? Did something happen to him? Something bad?" Polly asked and Betty and Diana nodded.

"Jase is dead, Polly." Diana couldn't look at the girl as she broke the news.

She knew Jason didn't love Polly in the way she wanted him to, but it was very obvious that Polly was still in love with him. And it hurt her because Jason spent the last few months, weeks, and days, alive, planning with Polly to get to where she was.

"I'm sorry, Polly." It was all Diana could say as she watched Polly breaking down.

She was sorry for a lot of things but it was mainly 2 reasons. Sorry for Jason's death and Sorry that he couldn't love Polly the way she wanted him to because of her.


	14. Episode 6 - Facing Fears

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

Diana and Betty were currently being held in a room after the receptionist told them to follow her. Betty was trying to call Jughead for help while Diana was still staring blankly into space. The door opened to reveal Alice Cooper. She came inside and slammed the door.

"Mom? What are you doing here?" Betty asked, shocked.

"I pay the Sisters good money. You think they don't notify me if Polly gets a visitor?" She said.

A little while later, they were walking down the hallways, towards the exit when Polly came, rounding a corner.

"Mom?"

"Polly…"

"Jason's dead? And you didn't tell me? And you kept me in here?" Polly cried, outraged.

"Baby, it's for your own good." Alice tried to tell her.

"Ugh! You always say that. And it's not true!" She screamed as some guys in uniforms restrained her and started taking her away.

"No! Betty!" Polly cried, trying to fight the guys off.

Betty came forward to hug her sister.

"I'm gonna get you out of here, I swear to God. I love you, Polly." She stated as she let go and they took her away.

\- TIMESKIP (NIGHTTIME || ANDREWS RESIDENCE) -

Archie and his dad were talking in his room.

"Dad, if I tank at the Variety Show, would you…" Archie started saying but Fred cut him off.

"Would I be mad? Son, whatever happens in that show, or any show, whether you go up there and kill it or you bomb like electric Dylan at a folk concert…" Fred started explaining.

"I'm not sure who that is." Archie commented.

"I would still love you, okay? Support you. I'd be proud of the fact that you were brave enough to go after something that you care about." Fred ended and Archie, nodded with a smile at his dad's words.

 **(WITH DIANA || EVERGREEN MANOR)**

Diana was sitting in her bed, Nate asleep beside her, surrounded by pillows so he doesn't fall off. She was looking through her old photo albums. All her life, she's realized that she's been scared of a lot of things. She also realized that her brothers and Jason have been the ones protecting her from these fears and helping her overcome them. However, it was time to be a big girl. There was one fear that nobody but herself could help her with. She picked up the phone and pressed Kevin's number.

"Hey, Kev, I know it's late, but I was wondering…"

-TIMESKIP (A FEW HOURS BEFORE VARIETY SHOW || SCHOOL) -

 **(WITH ARCHIE)**

He was looking at Valerie who was playing some notes in the piano.

"It's so perfect when you play it."

"We wrote a good song, Archie." Valerie told him with a smile.

"I can't wait to sing it with you in public. But just not tonight. Val, you should play with the Pussycats. I don't want to be the guy that broke up The Beatles. In your heart, you're a Pussycat. You'll always be a Pussycat." Archie told her.

"Maybe. But singing backup with no vote, no agency…" She explained.

"Well, after meeting Josie's dad…"

"Myles is in town?"

"Yeah."

"That's why she's been acting like Catzilla."

"I'm betting you can negotiate new terms."

"Where does that leave you?" Valerie asked him.

"I was born alone. I'll sing alone and patch things up with Veronica and Diana while I'm at it." Archie told her.

\- TIMESKIP (VARIETY SHOW TIME || AUDITORIUM) -

 **(WITH DIANA)**

Diana nervously sighed as she played with the rings on her necklace. It had recently become a habit when she was nervous. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a sapphire-colored tutu like dress. And her blonde hair was held back by a headband, the same color as her dress.

"There's my baby sis. I can't believe you're doing this, Di. But I'm really proud of you." Daniel said as he approached her, carrying 3 bouquets of flowers.

"Danny! Who are those for?" She asked, looking at the assortment of flowers.

"They're for you. One from me and Ronnie, one from Cheryl and-" Daniel started saying but was cut off by someone else behind him.

"And one from me." Diana turned to the familiar voice and saw their older brother Derrick.

"Der-bear!" She happily cried out as she rushed to hug her brother.

He hugged her back and lifted her a little before putting her back down.

"What are you doing here?" Diana asked him, very surprised.

"Daniel told me our little sister was gonna get through another milestone. I couldn't miss it for the world." Derrick answered with a grin.

"He used the private jet to get here. That's how important you are to us, sis." Daniel said as they did a group hug with her, squished in the middle.

"I love you guys." Diana told them.

"Okay, I'll leave the flowers here and the Pussycats are starting so we'll take our seats up front." Daniel said before leaving with Derrick.

Diana turned to read the cards in the flowers.

 _My baby sis is ready to face her fears alone. Ronnie and I are so proud. Love ya, sis. Break a leg (not literally pls)_

 _Danny & Ronnie_

 _I may not always be there physically but you and Daniel mean the world to me. And you'll always be our precious jewel. Good luck!_

 _Der-bear_

 _Jason would have loved to see you perform in front of these people tonight. He always told me that he loved to hear you sing even if it wasn't that often. You'll do great._

 _Cheryl_

Diana smiled sadly at the last one. It was true. Jason always tried to convince her to sing for him. He always said he liked the sound of her voice, like it called him home, back to her.

' _This one's for you, Jase. I really wish you were here.'_ She thought. One of the producers came to get her.

"The Pussycats are almost done, Diana. Take your place, please." The girl said and Diana nodded as she went and stood at the wings of the stage just as the Pussycats ended.

"That was Josie and the Pussycats! Long tails and ears for hats. Our next performer is an old face but a new voice. Give it up for Diana Kennedy!" Kevin introduced and Diana sighed deeply before standing on stage where a lone spotlight shone on her. The song started to play and she clutched the mike as she opened her mouth to sing.

 _(Play: Why Don't I || Sofia Carson)_

" _I've never been one_

 _To step out of my comfort zone_

 _Whenever I try_

 _I am afraid to just let go_

 _Don't know why I run_

 _Don't know why I hide_

 _Never let them know_

 _What I feel inside_

 _Don't know why I'm scared_

 _Just to take a chance_

 _While I'm still standing here_

 _I've never been one_

 _To break free_

 _'Cause I've always cared_

 _What everyone thinks of me_

 _Don't know why I run_

 _Don't know why I hide_

 _Never let them know_

 _What I feel inside_

 _I don't want to settle_

 _Don't want to run_

 _This is not where I belong_

 _Like a bird_

 _I'm free to fly_

 _Spread my wings and find my light_

 _Like a bird_

 _I'm up so high out of the cage_

 _It's my time to shine_

 _Like a bird_

 _I'm free to fly_

 _So, tell me (tell me)_

 _Why don't I?"_

By the end of the last note, she was very surprised to get a standing ovation from the audience. She grinned and bowed before turning to leave the stage. There, she bumped into Archie.

"Diana…" Archie called out.

"Archibald." She replied with a nod.

"I just wanna tell you that you did great out there." Archie told her.

Diana looked at him before getting on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you. Good luck out there." She said with a small smile as she heard his name being called out.

"Can we talk about us after this?" He asked and Diana just nodded as he turned to go onstage.

Diana watched as he sat there nervously for a while before starting to play his guitar.

 _(Play: I'll Try || Riverdale Cast (Kj Apa))_

 _Can you hear me?_

 _Am I drowned out in the crowd? Are you listening?_

 _Or is everyone else too loud for you to hear anything_

 _Are you just gonna walk away?_

 _Cause there are so many things I can do but instead I'll say_

 _I'll try_

 _I'll try_

 _To let it go, let it roll right off my back_

 _Yes, oh I'll try_

 _I'll try_

 _To let it go, let it go and never look back this way_

 _Do you wanna be the one who points and blames?_

 _Makes us feel many things_

 _Cause in a word I can't explain_

 _Why it hurts so much, you see_

 _We weren't born with all this pain, I guess that's anything_

 _That keeps living day by day_

 _And I'll try_

 _I'll try_

 _To let it go, let it roll right off my shoulders_

 _Yes, I'll try_

 _I'll try_

 _To let it go, let it go and never look back this way_

 _Back this way_

 _I'll try_

 _I'll try_

 _To let it go, let it roll right off my shoulder_

 _Yes I'll try_

 _I'll try_

 _To let it go, let it go and never look back this way_

 _Never look back this way_

Archie smiled brightly as everyone cheered a clapped.

-TIMESKIP (AFTER THE SHOW || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Diana exited the auditorium, looking for Archie to congratulate him on a job well done. She stood on her toes to try and find him in the throngs of people, to no avail. When she rounded a corner, she saw Valerie pull Archie into a kiss. Her breath got caught in her throat and she tried not to cry as she felt someone tap her shoulder.

"You did amazing, sis. I- What's wrong?" Daniel asked her and he got his answer when he saw what his sister was looking at.

"That douche!" Daniel said as he tried to go over but Diana stopped him.

"Don't, D. He made his choice. I can't hold that against him." Diana said as she turned and dragged him away, neither of them seeing what happened next.

 **(WITH ARCHIE)**

It took him a while to register that Valerie was kissing him but once it did, he pushed her away.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"Oh, come on, Archie. You have to be pretty dense not to be able to tell that I like you." Valerie told him.

"I'm sorry but I have a girlfriend. Diana means a lot to me." Archie told her.

"Didn't you guys break up? Why'd you allow me to join you instead of her in singing then?" Valerie asked, confused.

"What? No! We had a misunderstanding and Ronnie hasn't been letting me near her to fix it and we were supposed to talk tonight and I just…. I'm sorry Valerie, but I don't like you that way." He told her before taking his leave and trying to find Diana.

He had looked everywhere for her, but couldn't find her anywhere. His phone buzzed with a text. He read it.

 _Fr: Di 3_

 _We don't have to talk anymore. I know. I saw, and I'm okay with it. Please just give me space for a few days._

This made Archie confused. He walked around until he bumped into Daniel who was with an angry Veronica.

"Danny! I was wondering-" Archie started to talk but was shocked when Daniel punched him.

"You stay the fuck away from my sister, asshole! Stop messing with her head and her heart." He said before turning to walk away.

Archie looked at Veronica in utter confusion as he felt the bruise in his cheek starting to form.

"She saw you and Valerie kiss. If you decided you didn't want her anymore, even though you were fighting, you should've at least told her." She said before turning to catch up with her boyfriend.

' _What? Does that mean she thinks I wanted to talk to her because I chose Val over her?'_ Archie thought in shock.

' _Why do I always do stupid things?'_

* * *

 _Here's the thing about fear. It's always there._

 _Fear of the unknown, fear of facing it alone… Fear that those closest to you are the monsters. Fear that as soon as you slay one, there's another monster waiting to take its place. Fear that there's one more boogeyman waiting at the end of the dark hall._


	15. Episode 7 - Finding Polly

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (EVERGREEN MANOR) -

Diana woke up to Nate's hungry cries. She hurriedly got out of bed and picked up her son, who was in his crib that she had placed in her room.

"Hey, baby boy. You're hungry, huh?" She said as she took of a part of her top and fed her son.

She looked down at him, looking more like Jason every single day.

"They were right, baby. You resemble daddy a lot. Daddy's not here anymore so it's just gonna be you and me. But don't worry, he's watching over us." She said as Nate continued to feed.

After a few minutes, he was finished. She put her top back on and placed a towel over her shoulder to burp him. After accomplishing that, she pressed a button on her nightstand and the nanny came in and took Nate away so she could get ready for her day. When she was finished, she went downstairs and joined her brothers for breakfast. Derrick informed them that he would be leaving that morning to go back to New York because of some urgent matters. Diana smiled at her brother as she finished her breakfast. She went back upstairs to gather her things and say goodbye to Nate, before going back downstairs and meeting up with Daniel. She kissed and hugged Derrick goodbye and Daniel bro-hugged and fist-bumped him. The twins made their way out the house where Daniel's car was parked up front.

"Do you want to ride with me to school today, sis?" Daniel asked her and she was about to reply when one of the security guards approached her.

"Miss Kennedy, it seems as though a Mr. Andrews is here to see you. Shall we grant him access?" He asked.

"Absolutely not!" Daniel started but Diana stopped him.

"Yeah, let him in." She told the guard who nodded and left before she turned to her brother.

"I deserve an explanation, Dan. Please just go, okay? I'll meet you at school." Diana told him and he nodded begrudgingly before he entered his car and drove off. A few moments later, Archie was in sight, with a guard escorting him.

"Please have someone drive my car up front, Arthur." She said once the guard and Archie reached her.

"Certainly, Miss." He bowed before taking his leave.

Archie spoke up first.

"Diana, look. Just listen to what I have to say. I didn't choose Valerie over you. She came to me to congratulate me and the next thing I know, she was kissing me. I was in shock but I didn't kiss her back and when I realized what was happening, I pushed her away." He explained and took her left hand in his right one.

"You have to believe me, Diana. Haven't I told you so many times before that it'll always be you that I want? That it's you I choose? I know Jason will always have a place in your heart and I understand that. I'm not trying to erase him, I'm just trying to earn my spot in there too. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I love you, Diana. I was scared to tell you before, but I don't wanna be afraid anymore." Archie spoke and Diana looked into his eyes as he stared down at her.

Neither noticed that they were already leaning in until their lips touched.

"I love you too. And I promise, from now on, I'll never doubt you or your love for me." Diana said as they pulled away from the kiss and were about to kiss again when a voice interrupted them.

"Uh, what's going on here?" Diana stepped away from Archie and turned to see Derrick looking at them, confused.

"Der-bear, this is Archibald Andrews, my boyfriend." She proudly introduced him and watched as both guys shook hands.

"You take care of my precious jewel, you hear?" Derrick told him and Archie nodded.

"Nothing else I would rather do." He replied just as Diana's car arrived.

"Come on, we gotta get going. You're driving." Diana told him as pulled him,

"Bye, Der-bear. Have a safe flight!" She called out as Archie opened the passenger door for her and she stepped in.

Archie closed the door before jogging over to the driver's side and entering. Soon, they were driving off.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT DAY || STUDENT'S LOUNGE) -

Betty, Jughead, Kevin, Archie, Diana, Daniel, and Veronica were all gathered in the couches, talking once again. Daniel and Archie had talked earlier and made up in that bro-way they usually do. They were currently discussing Polly's disappearance from the Sister's Home.

"My mom and dad don't want to get the policed involved. They don't want anyone to know that she ran away, or about her shameful condition." Betty told the crew and Diana snorted.

"Please. What decade is this? Shameful condition?" She asked them.

"Also, since she knew where Jason's getaway car was, they're afraid people might think that she burned it and that if she did…" Betty said and Jughead continued.

"She could be the murderer, trying to cover her tracks."

"Who did burn the car, then?" Archie asked.

"Sheriff Keller says it's possible someone was following us." Betty replied.

"Oh, my God. Honestly, guys, we should just move." Ronnie said, freaked out.

"You're always welcome to move in with me." Daniel told her with a wink.

"Guys, what if Polly's really hurt? What if whoever killed Jason is coming after her next?" She freaked out and Jughead placed an arm around her which Betty held.

This earned a reaction from Diana, Archie and Ronnie.

"Bughead will rise." Diana whispered to Archie's ear.

"Betty, even though your parents don't want to, maybe you should go to the police." Archie suggested.

"Second it. We can talk to my dad together about how he has to be discreet." Kevin suggested.

"No offense, Kev, but your dad answers to a higher authority than God, the Blossoms. They're the first people that he would tell." Jughead stated.

"And if there's anyone to keep this a secret from, it's the Blossoms. They'd twist it around and go after Polly out of spite." Betty said.

"How can we help? Tell us, B, and we'll do it." Ronnie asked.

 _ **After their talk...**_

Diana whispered to Archie as everyone was gathering their stuff to leave.

"Ask Juggy about him and Betty for me, please." She said as she pecked his cheek to convince him.

"You missed, though." He said and Diana smiled before pecking him on the lips.

Archie grinned and followed Jughead out of the lounge.

"Hey, Juggy. Remember before how you said you didn't want Betty knowing where you were living? Is that because you and Betty…" He asked and trailed off.

"We may have had a moment…" Jughead confessed.

"It's totally cool, I get it. No worries, Diana and I were just curious. Hey, I've been thinking about your situation, and I talked to my dad. He said he's willing to give your dad a second chance, but only if FP wants it. He's gonna call him. But I think you should talk to him, too. Between the two of us, I think we can really make things happen." Archie told Jughead and they both smiled at each other.

 **(WITH THE GIRLS)**

Diana, Veronica and Betty were talking in another hallway.

"Did I just notice Riverdale High's very own Holden Caulfield put his arm around you?" Veronica asked Betty as Diana nodded in confirmation that she was curious as well.

"Okay, so these past couple of day, I haven't been in a great place, emotionally. And Jughead was really there for me." Betty confessed.

"Oh, my God. Swoon! Okay, in that case, if he helped one of my girls navigate some turbulent waters, well then, Diana Kennedy approves." Diana said with a laugh.

"Veronica Lodge approves as well." Ronnie added as she and Diana high-fived.

"Thatta girl." Ronnie said as they all laughed.

"Come on, let's go find your sister." Diana said as she wove her arms around Betty's and Veronica's.

 _ **Later that day…**_

Diana, Betty and Ronnie were walking along the hallways when Kevin approached them, freaking out.

"You guys, oh, my God." He stated as he reached them.

"What?" Veronica asked.

"Cheryl just tweeted _#PollyCooperKilledMyBrother #NowhereToHide #SharpenYourPitchforks_ " He told them.

"Oh, no." Betty said as she read Kevin's phone.

"We need to find Polly before the Blossoms do."

\- TIMESKIP (EVERSGREEN FOREST) -

Betty and her friends had gathered a team of volunteers to help find Polly. They now all stood in a line as Betty and Jughead gave instructions.

"Okay, the Sisters of Quiet Mercy are due north. The getaway car was west, on the Old Route 40." Betty started.

"The closest bus station is east, headed towards Sweetwater. If Polly wanted to leave Riverdale without anyone seeing her, she probably would've left through…" Jughead explained.

"Right here. Eversgreen Forest." Betty stated and they started their search.

As they were walking, Archie and Betty has some time to talk with Diana and Jughead behind them.

"Hey, all this stuff with your sister, I'm sorry you had to go through that, and I wasn't there to help you." He told her.

"It's okay, Arch, you're here now." Betty told him, gesturing to the search around them.

 **(MEANWHILE WITH RONNIE, KEVIN AND DANIEL)**

"So, how's the cold war at home?" Kevin asked Veronica as Daniel was busy looking at a compass.

"Ugh, horrible. Look, I hate fighting with my mom, but until she's ready to admit and to own, that she forged my name to help her illicit trysting with Fred Andrews, I can't blink, Kevin. She needs to make the next move." Ronnie told him.

"And what if she doesn't blink?" Kevin pushed.

"Back in New York, whenever I needed to blow off some steam, or force my mother's hand, I'd go on a bender, dancing with my fave celebrity gal-pal, my best gay and if I was taken, my sexy boyfriend. That's supposed to be Diana, but I think she wouldn't come so Josie will do, you, and Daniel." Ronnie told him.

"Honored. I'm in, I'm so in. Should we invite Betty? She could probably use a distraction right now." Kevin said as Ronnie looked behind him.

"I think she may be a tad busy." She stated as she pointed to the Blossom family who had arrived with their own search party.

The two groups met face to face.

"Alice Cooper, where is she? Where's Polly?" Penelope demanded.

"You think if I knew that, I'd be out here with the mosquitoes?" Alice replied.

"Face facts, Mommie Dearest, Polly killed Jason." Cheryl butted in which earned a shake of the head in disappointment from Diana.

"She escaped from the asylum once, who's to say she didn't before, say, the day Jason got murdered?" Clifford asked.

"The noose is tightening around your murdering daughter's neck. I know it, Sheriff Keller knows it." Penelope said.

"Hold on now." Sheriff Keller denied.

"And I promise you, when we find her, and we will find her, the entire town of Riverdale will know, too." Penelope said.

\- TIMESKIP (RIVERDALE CHURCH) -

Betty and her mom were talking inside the church.

"Mom, is this a good idea? I thought we were trying to contain this." She asked.

"Well, we were, Elizabeth. But now that the cat's out of the bag, we're in full-on damage control mode. The Blossoms have their version of the events, but they don't know the whole story, at least not yet. And that gives us a momentary advantage."

"I don't know if I can do this. Oh, you can, and you will. You'll be standing beside me and your father, a united front against the holiest of backdrops. Let's see the Blossoms try to smear us then."

 _ **After a while…**_

The Coopers stood in front of the church with people gathered around them, holding a press conference.

"There's been a swirl of rumors today about our daughter, Polly. And we're standing here to tell you that they're all false. Yes, Polly was seeking treatment in a private care facility, and she was under strict observation even at the time of Jason Blossom's death. When she found out about the murder, she was beside herself with grief. You see, my daughter, Polly is pregnant. It wasn't Jason Blossom's baby but he was there to help her. Polly wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone the love of her life. Polly, darling, if you're watching this, please come home." Alice Cooper said, talking to the camera.

Diana, who was beside Archie and Jughead in the crowd, squeezed Archie's hand when Alice said that Jason was the love of Polly's life. She relaxed a little when he squeezed back and placed his arm around her shoulders before kissing the side of her head. Yeah, it hurt. But, she was going to have to accept the fact that Jason wasn't hard to love and that someone else had fallen for him the way she had.

\- TIMESKIP (THAT NIGHT || TOWN STREETS) -

Betty and Jughead were walking beside each other.

"Hey, you didn't have to walk me home." She told him.

"Uh, there's a killer on the loose, remember? Besides, isn't this what… you know… people like us, who've gone through what we've gone through, do? What is it? I mean, besides everything?" Jughead asked when she remained quiet.

"She wouldn't have run away if it wasn't for me, Jug." Betty said.

"Betty, your parents were the ones lying to her, keeping her in the dark. You did the right thing telling her the truth." Jughead reassured her.

"It's funny. This isn't the first-time Polly's run away from home. When she was nine, she and mom got into this huge fight, and she disappeared for hours. The whole neighborhood was out looking for her." Betty recounted.

"How far did she get?" Jughead asked her before she stopped as she realized something.

"What?" Jughead asked when she froze but Betty just pulled his face closer and kissed him.

"Thank you for walking me home. I'll call you later. Goodnight." She said as she walked towards her front door and Jughead smiled as he walked away.


	16. Episode 7 - Not All Hope is Lost

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Diana, Betty and Veronica were huddled and talking. Betty was telling them that she had found Polly last night and about her lodging dilemma.

"I don't want Polly to run away. But if she can't live at home, then… I don't know, I can rent her an apartment." Betty told them.

"Let me talk to my mom." Ronnie offered.

"No, you have your own stuff you're dealing with right now, V." Betty deflected.

"Or, she could stay at Evergreen Manor. That way, the maids can help her out if she needs anything. She doesn't need to worry about space because Lord knows how many rooms that house has." Diana said as she ate her cup of frozen yogurt.

"We couldn't intrude on your family, Di." Betty answered again.

"Betty, Polly needs doctors, she needs prenatal vitamins, and checkups, and ultrasounds, and a lot of baby stuff. Trust me, I've been there before." Diana told her.

"I guess I can ask her about it. I just want the Blossoms to leave her alone, you know. It can't be good for the baby is she keeps stressing out over them." Betty stated.

"I'll try to do something about it, but no promises." Diana said, willing to help out her friends.

\- TIMESKIP (THAT NIGHT || EVERGREEN MANOR) -

Diana was having tummy time with Nate when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." Diana called out and Cheryl came in.

"Hey." Cheryl greeted as she got on the floor with them.

"Hey, Cher." Diana smiled a little.

"Can I sleep here, tonight?" Cheryl asked her and Diana could see her eyes travelling over to Nate who was playing, in his own little world.

"Sure." Diana said as she sat up, Indian style and picked Nate up from the floor, making him face Cheryl.

"Hey, baby boy. Look who's here! It's Auntie Cheryl." Diana talked to her son as before handing him over to Cheryl.

Cheryl was busy playing with Nate when Diana spoke up again.

"Cher, I have a favor to ask you." She started.

"What is it?" Cheryl asked her.

"You love Jason, right? You'd do anything for him?" Diana reminded her.

"Of course. Everyone knows that, you especially." Cheryl answered.

"Well, can you please, please, lay off on Polly Cooper? I know you don't like her and all, but give the girl a break, she's pregnant and even if Jason didn't love her in that way, she meant a lot to him because he wanted to help her get away from here as well. So, I'm asking you as a friend, as an almost sister, as Jason's ex-girlfriend, please take it easy on Polly. You don't want to be the reason she loses a baby, do you? Because that's what too much stress does. And I can assure you that she didn't kill him. She loved him too much, no matter how he felt about her. I think she would rather her baby daddy be him instead of Chuck." Diana begged her to understand.

Cheryl was silent for a while. Looking down at Nate who was shaking a rattle and babbling incessantly.

"I suppose so. But, if it weren't for you and Nate, I would never agree to doing this. And Di, you were never an almost sister. You were already my sister even before Jason proposed. I know I can be a bitch most of the time, but you've stuck with me even if you disagree with what I'm doing. I can do this for you." She said with a smile.

"I need your help convincing Aunt Penelope and Uncle Clifford, though." Diana told her and Cheryl looked at her with wide eyes.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Jughead entered the Blue and Gold newsroom to see Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee staring at their Jason Blossom murder board. When they noticed him, they looked at him with serious faces.

"Hey." He greeted.

"Hey." Sheriff Keller replied.

"Uh, what's up?" He asked them.

"I'm gonna need you to come down to the station with me." Sheriff Keller told him and he sighed, nodding.

The three went out of the room and everyone in the hallway stared at him. He saw Betty, Archie and Diana talking by the lockers.

"Juggy?" Diana asked once she noticed him.

"Call my dad." He told them.

"Yeah, yeah we will." Archie agreed.

"Of course." Betty said.

"Guys, we have to do something." Diana told the both of them as they went to call Jughead's dad.

\- TIMESKIP (IN THE AFTERNOON || POLICE STATION) -

Betty sat across from Jughead in the interrogation room.

"I didn't do it, Betty, you have to believe me." Jughead told her.

"Of course, I was with you, and I know who you are." Betty said, grabbing his arm.

"Those Paradise Lost kids went to death row because they wore black and they listened to Metallica. I don't wanna become a scapegoat." Jughead said, opening up to her.

"I'm not gonna let that happen." She said, grabbing his hand and he sighed.

"All the evidence against you is circumstantial. We're gonna get you out of here." She reassured and Jughead sniffled.

"Is my dad here yet?" He asked her.

"Diana and Archie are here with his dad and a lawyer. They're talking to the Sheriff. No one knows where your dad is." Betty told him.

 **(OUTSIDE THE INTERROGATION ROOM)**

Sheriff Keller, Fred Andrews and a lawyer that Diana called were talking.

"Jughead's not helping himself in there. I asked him for an alibi, and he just gave me lip." Sheriff Keller said.

"But do you have actual proof that the boy was the one who did it? If not, you can't hold him." The lawyer stated.

"He was working for me. Yeah, the week of July 11th, was it? Yeah, I had him tear down some drywall for me." Fred told them.

"You can provide me with documentation to support that?" Sheriff Keller asked.

"I have to check my time cards." Fred stated.

Soon, they were all exiting the station, Jughead with them.

"Thanks for coming, Rupert." Diana spoke as she thanked the lawyer.

"A pleasure, Miss Kennedy. Please let me know if you need anything else." He said as he went ahead of them.

They walked down the stairs of the police station, Archie, who had an arm around Diana's shoulder as her arm was around his waist with her hand in his back pocket, was beside his dad and Betty and Jughead were behind them. When they noticed FP walking towards them.

"Jughead! I'm sorry. I came as soon as I got your messages. My phone, the friggin' battery. I forgot to plug it in last night. What the hell happened?" He asked.

"Nothing. It's fine now. Mr. Andrews and Diana's lawyer took care of it." Jughead told him.

"What jacked-up crap did they accuse you of in there, huh? Those bastards trying to throw you in jail like they did your old man? Well, screw that/ I will rip Keller a new one for trying to pull that…" He began to get worked up, trying to storm to the station and Fred stopped him.

"This is my son, he is my son, Fred. You'd do the same for your boy." FP said as he pushed Fred away and pointed to Archie who was holding a scared Diana in his arms.

FP was about to start walking again when Jughead held him back.

"Dad. Don't make things worse. Please." Jughead begged him, about to cry.

"Yeah. Yeah, all right, then. You, uh, coming home with me?" FP said as he backed off and started walking away from the station.

"He can stay with us, Mr. Jones. We already offered." Archie informed him and FP looked at Jughead.

"Is that what you want? Maybe that's for the best. If you don't mind, Fred." FP asked his old partner.

"Whatever you want, FP. It's between the two of you." Fred said, not wanting to make him lose his temper again.

"I'll go with you, Dad." Jughead said as he sniffled and walked forward towards his dad.

"Son, listen to me. I'm gonna do what you want, get my act together. I'm gonna get your mom and Jellybean home so we're all under the same roof. I promise. But I… I just need a little time to do that. Not a lot, not long, a month, two at the most. Hey. And then we'll be back on track, all right? You believe that, don't you?" FP spoke to him in a low voice.

"Yeah, I believe you, Dad." Jughead said and the two hugged before FP walked away.

Jughead wiped the tears from his eyes and Betty was immediately beside him; comforting him. And the two walked ahead together. Archie sighed as he looked at his best friend suffering. Diana rubbed her hand across his back reassuringly and he looked at her, kissing the side of her head before the both of them moved to follow their friends, Fred behind them.

-TIMESKIP (THAT NIGHT || POP'S CHOCK'LIT SHOP) -

Betty, Polly, Veronica, Archie and Jughead were waiting for Diana and Daniel at the Chock'lit Shop. Polly had agreed to stay with them.

"Daniel and Diana should be here soon. Once we've talked things through with them, we'll call Mom and Dad. Are you nervous?" Betty asked her sister.

"I'm thankful. At the home, the Sisters said each of us had a guardian angel. You're mine, Betty." Polly said with a smile.

The door opened and Cheryl walked in.

"Cheryl…" Polly greeted as she stood to face her.

Cheryl just looked at Polly's pregnant stomach, Diana's words echoing in her head.

"I'm so sorry about Jason, I know how much you loved him. And he always talked about how much he loved you." Polly told her.

"Cheryl, what are you doing here?" Betty asked her.

"I promised Diana that I would stop bothering Polly and stop thinking that she killed my brother. But, she hasn't talked to my parents yet. You have to leave. Now. They still think you killed Jason. They want you out of the picture, Polly. It isn't safe for you and the baby." Cheryl warned them.

"Where are Daniel and Diana?" Archie asked just as the twins entered the establishment.

"Sorry, we got caught up in something." Diana vaguely stated as she kissed Archie's cheek.

"Shall we all go? We can drive you guys home afterwards." Daniel offered and they, including Cheryl, all exited the Shop and entered a black Hi-Ace Van that was waiting for them.

 **(EVERGREEN MANOR)**

Once they got to Evergreen Manor, they all got out of the car. Those who have never been inside the house was looking around in wonder.

"Welcome to Evergreen Manor." One of the maids greeted them.

"Daniel will show you to your room, Polly. I have to check on some things but I'll be right up. Cheryl, walk with me." Diana said as she entered the house and went up a flight of stairs.

Daniel just shrugged and casually walked into one of the hallways.

"If that's all right with you, Polly, we decided to give you a room on the first floor. That way, you don't have to walk up and down the stairs every time and you're close to the kitchens if you ever get hungry." Daniel explained as he stopped in front of a door and opened it to reveal a room that looked homey and comfy.

Everyone stepped in to admire it.

"I hope you like what we did with the place." Daniel told Polly.

"It's perfect. I love it." Polly stated, amazed.

"Got any more rooms for me?" Jughead joked.

"You're welcome to stay here too, Juggy." A voice stated from the door and everyone turned to see Diana carrying Nate.

Polly gasped as she saw how much the baby looked like Jason.

"Look, who's here, baby boy. It's your Aunties and Uncles." Diana spoke to her son as he looked around the room, recognizing his favorite person.

"Cheee!" He happily stated as he reached out for the ginger.

Archie laughed a little as he stepped forward to take him from his mother's arms and lifted him up into the air, earning a spiel of laughter from the baby.

"I was serious about my offer, though, Juggy." Diana said as she noticed everyone staring at her boyfriend and her son.

"Okay, I have his bottle. Can I feed him now?" Cheryl asked as she entered the room.

Without hesitation, she handed the bottle to Daniel and took the baby from Archie, positioning him properly before taking the bottle and feeding him. Polly still hadn't taken her eyes of Nate.

"He looks so much like Jason." She said as she approached Cheryl to get a closer look at Nate.

"That's what everyone says. I named him Nathaniel Jason." Diana said with a small smile.

Polly looked at the baby and how Cheryl handled him before running a hand across her stomach.

"Do you think that you could help me…" She started saying.

"Of course, I'll help you learn the basics. You can even watch Nate for me sometimes." Diana answered before she could finish.

Polly walked up to her and hugged her, Diana just hugged her back.

"Thank you, Diana. Thank you, Daniel." She said as she pulled away from Diana and hugged Daniel as well.

"It's no problem, Polly. You'll be safe here." Daniel told her.

* * *

 _Hope. A word so close to home, and as tricky. As much as we wanted Jason's killer caught, and the town, our home, to feel safe again, with every day that passed, our hopes dimmed more and more._

 _There's that old, cliched saying, "It's darkest before the dawn."_

 _But sometimes… There's just darkness._


	17. Episode 8 - Matthew Dylan & Baby Showers

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

 _The Coopers._

 _The Stepfords of Riverdale. High school sweethearts who got married and had two beautiful daughters, Polly and Betty…_

 _Until Jason Blossom happened._

 _And now, we would hear from the person who was closest to him those days leading up to his disappearance. Polly Cooper._

 _How a casual conversation turned into an epic, forbidden romance. How they broke up but still agreed to remain friends. And how Jason agreed to help Polly, when she found out she was pregnant with Chuck Clayton's kid, make plans to run away and start a new life._

 _And how their dreams of escape went up in flames._

* * *

Polly, Betty, Veronica, Diana and Sheriff Keller all sat in couches in the living room of the Evergreen Manor. Sheriff Keller was interviewing Polly about Jason and the plan.

"That was the last day you saw him?" Sheriff Keller clarified.

"At Pop's, when he told me the plan, that he was gonna fake his own death, and then we would meet up so he could help me get out of here. But, before that could happen, my mom and dad sent me away." Polly explained.

"One of Jason's teammates said that before he ran away, Jason was dealing drugs." Betty pointed out.

"Making a one-time delivery. He needed… I needed money to get away and start over. He wanted to help me." Polly defended.

"So, Riverdale's star football player becomes a drug mule?" Sheriff Keller asked.

"He went to a bar on the other side of the tracks and made a deal with some biker gang."

"The Serpents?"

"He got an address upstate, where he was supposed to deliver the drugs in exchange for cash." Polly told him.

"The drugs you found in Jason's car that went up in flames." Sheriff Keller said, referring to Betty.

"Okay, Sheriff, I think that's enough for tonight. I think Polly needs her rest." Diana said as she saw Polly get upset.

"I'll be in touch, ladies." Sheriff Keller nodded as he stood up as well.

"Arthur, please show Sheriff Keller out." Diana called and the butler / bodyguard came in and showed the Sheriff out.

"we're gonna get you through this, okay?" Betty reassured her sister and pulled her into a hug.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

The gang was gathered in their usual places in the student lounge.

"Man, we sure do spend time here a lot. Maybe we should make a generous donation to the school and get our own lounge for starters?" Daniel pointed out.

"I would be so down for that." Kevin told him.

"Anyways, Polly's convinced herself that no one wants her baby."

"Yeah and the fault-pointing Blossoms are still after her. No offense, Cheryl." Kevin answered when he remembered that Cheryl had joined them that day.

"None taken." Cheryl simply said.

"So, your mom and dad just want Polly but not the baby, and Chuck Clayton hasn't even admitted that the baby is his. That's a true Gordian knot." Jughead summarized.

"It's an impossible situation." Betty stated.

"Betty, come on. An impossible situation is being invited to both the Vanity Flair Oscar Party and Elton John's Oscar Party on the same night. Which happened to me one year, I know." Veronica pointed out.

"Hey, that happened to me as well. What year and which one did you go to?" Daniel asked her.

"Last year, I went to the Vanity Flair party." Veronica told him and Diana laughed.

"Tough luck. Danny went to Elton's last year." She said and Daniel nodded.

"Okay, back to topic, this is merely an annoying situation. But luckily, I've been percolating on an idea, hellishly simple in its conception." Veronica told them.

"I have an idea on where this is going. Is it a baby shower?" Diana asked, excited.

"Count me in." Cheryl volunteered, obviously trying hard to make it up to Polly as Diana told her.

"You want Polly to feel loved and supported, right?" Veronica asked Betty.

"Yeah, but ideally, by her own parents." Betty replied.

"Okay, so, baby steps, girl. Get Polly and your parents in the same room in a public setting where they can't fight, and, voila, let the healing begin." Veronica said.

"Am I expected to come to this thing?" Jughead asked and even Daniel and Archie froze a little.

"Of course! You're Betty's boyfriend and it's gonna be at your house anyway, babe, so…" Veronica trailed off and they all looked at Diana.

"What? I don't own him, so he can if he wants to." She simply stated.

"So, Betty, what do you say?" Veronica asked as Alice Cooper came in through the door.

"Elizabeth Cooper." She stated.

"Mom?"

"I need you, you and you. Right now." She said, pointing to Betty, Diana and Ronnie.

 _ **After leading them to an empty classroom…**_

"Sheriff Keller told us everything. How you're hiding Polly at Evergreen Manor?" Alice said as she paced in front of the three girls.

"Better than in an insane asylum." Betty retorted.

"Actually, Mrs. Cooper, that's on me." Ronnie interrupted.

"No, it's on me. Ronnie suggested that Polly stay with them but I thought it would be better for her to stay at Evergreen where someone can watch her and tend to her needs." Diana answered.

"They're trying to help. Unlike you and Dad, who want Polly to give the baby up for adoption." Betty told her mom.

"Betty, it's what's best for Polly and the baby." Alice said.

"Mom, that's not your choice. Your choice is whether or not you want to be part of Polly's life. Veronica and Diana have offered to host a baby shower." Betty told her.

"Well, that's hardly appropriate!"

"Really? Because I think it's an amazing idea. You want to be loving and supportive like a normal grandmother? Then, great. Otherwise, stay away." Betty warned her mom.

\- TIMSKIP (LATER THAT NIGHT || THORNHILL MANSION) -

Diana and Nate were with the Blossoms, having their weekly dinner and one of Diana's twice a month overnight stays. Diana decided to approach the topic of Polly to Penelope as they were having tea together while watching Nate, just after dinner.

"Aunt Penelope, I wanted to talk to you about something." Diana started.

"What is it dear? Is it something about Nathaniel?" She asked Diana.

"No. It's nothing like that. It's about Polly Cooper. You see, the thing is, I have this gut feeling that she had nothing to do with Jase's death." Diana spoke out.

"Well, gut feelings are hardly a sensible thing to trust, Diana dear. Those Coopers have been out to get us, long before. And I never trusted that Polly girl when she was with Jason." Penelope answered.

"Just please, Aunt Penelope. Until there's solid evidence that she killed Jason, leave her alone. She's pregnant because of a bet and the dad won't even admit to the baby being his. Jason cared a lot about her, he wanted to get her away from here and keep her safe. Don't waste his efforts by trying to pin all this down on her. I truly believe she had nothing to do with his death." Diana told her.

"And what if I don't listen? The Coopers deserve what's coming to them." Penelope said, angrily.

Diana sighed before standing up and taking a photo out of her pocket and handing it to her. Penelope Blossom looked down at the photo and gasped.

"This is…"

"Aunt Penelope, did you know that too much stress is bad for pregnant women? Did you ever think that since Jason and I were part of a twin pair, our kids had a high possibility of being twins? You know what it feels like to lose a child, you lost Jason. But, you had the chance to watch him grow into a man. That picture was taken on the day I gave birth, one month before my due date. Matthew Dylan Kennedy was born on February 2nd at 4.4 lbs. He had difficulty breathing on his own, and was very tinier than his brother. He lost his fight on February 22nd. So, from mom to mom, Aunt Penelope, please leave Polly alone. If you don't, I'm afraid what happened to me might happen to her." Diana said with tears in her eyes.

Penelope dropped the picture as she stood up and pulled Diana into a hug. The picture was of her carrying twin baby boys. One, however, was attached to wires and looked very frail and weak. Jason Blossom and Diana Kennedy had created twin babies but in the end, only one of them survived.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || EVERGREEN MANOR) -

Polly, Betty, Veronica and Daniel were having breakfast together. Betty and Veronica told her the idea of a baby shower.

"A Baby Shower? You sure that's a good idea, when…" Polly started, being cut-off by Betty and Ronnie.

"It is."

"It's a great idea."

"What about Mom and Dad?" Polly asked.

"Well, what do you want, Polly? Do you want them to come?" Daniel asked her.

"I do. I mean, Mom at least." Polly admitted.

"In that case, we'll get her there somehow. I'll ask my mom to talk to her." Ronnie said.

"But I do not want to fight with her." Polly stated.

"You won't. The entire Cooper family will support you on this, Polly." Betty reassured her.

"I want the Blossoms there."

"Cheryl, sure, yeah, she's on the guest list." Ronnie nodded.

"Cheryl. And Mrs. Blossom." Polly stated.

"She's trying to pin you for killing her son. She's saying you're a murderer." Betty pointed out.

"Well, then this shower is the perfect opportunity for me to prove to her that I'm not." Polly said.

\- TIMESKIP (THAT AFTERNOON || SODALE CONSTRUCTION AREA) -

Diana parked her car a little farther away from Kevin's red truck and sighed as she grabbed Nate's carrier and strapped it on to her front, properly. Then, she got down her car and grabbed Nate, positioning him in the carrier properly before grabbing the boxes of pizza and donuts with both her hands; closing the door with her hip.

"Hey, baby boy. We're gonna see Uncle Danny, Uncle Kev, Uncle Jughead, and Uncle Archie, huh?" She asked Nate as he looked up at her and grinned.

"Cheee!" He said as he started babbling and Diana smiled.

Danny heard a familiar voice and turned to see Diana.

"Well, look who it is! And you brought us food!" Daniel said as he ran up to her and took the items in her hands.

He was about to give Nate a kiss on the head when Diana stopped him.

"Don't even try, Daniel Kennedy. You're sweaty and dirty." Diana said with a laugh as she took a step back.

"Hey guys! Someone brought us food!" Daniel called out to the working teens and everyone dropped what they were doing. Archie approached her.

"Hey, Thanks for this. You know you didn't have to." He said as he kissed her forehead.

"It's no problem, I wanted to." Diana said with a smile as she handed him a towel.

"Hey, Kev, you were looking good out there, looking buff. These guys should get you on the team." Diana teased her friend.

"Di, you know I prefer my contact sports one-on-one, you know, like… Boxing." He told her and she laughed.

Diana spent a little while with the boys and Fred before taking her leave because Nate was getting restless.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY|| EVERGREEN MANOR) -

"Have you heard from mom? Is she coming?" Polly asked Betty, Veronica and Diana.

"She's invited." Ronnie told her and Polly expression fell.

"Hey, it doesn't matter. If Mom doesn't want to come, that's on her. It's her loss." Betty comforted Polly.

"Betty, I've decided… I want you to be the baby's godmother." Polly told her.

"Really? Me?" Betty asked, surprised.

"Oh, my God!" Veronica exclaimed and Diana just smiled.

"If anything would ever happen to me, the only person I'd trust to take care of my baby is you." Polly told her.

"Oh, my God, Pol!" Betty excitedly exclaimed as the sisters hugged.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT DAY || POP'S CHOCK'LIT SHOP) -

Jughead and Daniel were telling Betty and Ronnie what happened at the construction last night.

"Poor Moose. Is he okay?" Ronnie asked.

"His name is Moose. He's fine." Jughead answered and Daniel and Ronnie chuckled a little.

Archie then came in and sat beside Daniel.

"Dudes, what the hell? I've been texting you guys." He told Jughead and Daniel.

"Archie, Jughead just told us what happened yesterday." Betty told him.

"Though I checked out at the words "construction" and "site."" Ronnie admitted.

"Moose and I are going to the Southside to find those Serpents. You in?" Archie asked Jughead and Daniel.

"Whoa! Hey, you didn't say it was the Serpents who beat Moose up." Betty exclaimed.

"Cause we don't know that for a fact." Jughead said, looking at Archie.

"Well, it's still worth a shot if it might help my dad. Kevin's boyfriend can get us in." Archie informed them.

"Get you in where?" Veronica asked.

"To some bar where the Serpents hang out. If Moose spots them, we call Sheriff Keller and get those goons arrested." Archie said.

"Archie, the Serpents are dangerous. They're drug dealers." Betty accused.

"What? Says who?" Jughead asked.

"Polly. Remember? Trev told us that Jason was dealing drugs? It was for the Serpents." Betty said.

"You heard my Dad, Jughead. Clifford Blossom is trying to torpedo him. Sheriff Keller basically blew him off, right in front of us. Somebody needs to do something." Archie said, getting riled up.

"Archie, going into that bar is a bad idea." Daniel warned him.

"Jughead, Daniel, are you guys coming with me or not?" Archie asked them.

"Whoa, hold up, no one's taking Daniel anywhere." Ronnie stopped Daniel who was about to get up and follow Archie.

"Babe, come on, I-"

"No." Ronnie told him as Daniel tried to excuse himself.

"Jughead?" Archie asked once more and Jughead didn't say anything.

"Thanks for having my back." Archie told him before leaving.


	18. Episode 8 - The Truth About Juggy's Dad

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (THAT NIGHT || EVERGREEN MANOR) -

Cars began passing through the gates and the driveway of Evergreen Manor was busy that night. The Baby shower was starting. Veronica and Daniel were greeting guests at the door, Betty was making sure everything was perfectly arranged and Jughead was bringing over the last batch of cupcakes and pastries which earned him a kiss from Betty.

"You're sweet to be here. I know this isn't exactly your scene." Betty told him.

"What? Organizing a baby shower? It's totally on my bucket list." Jughead jokingly said.

"Mom!" Betty exclaimed as she saw her mother walk through the door.

"Polly, look, Mom's here!" She continued as she made her way to Polly.

She took the gift from her mom's hands.

"I'm so glad that you're here, and you're safe. You and the baby." Alice told Polly.

"Oh, Mom." Polly said as both women hugged.

"We're here!" Someone announced and everyone watched Cheryl walk in with a baby stroller, her mom and grandmother behind her.

"No big deal, it's only the best stroller money can buy." Cheryl said with a huge grin.

"So expensive." Polly pointed out.

"All I ask in return is that you make me your baby's godmother." Cheryl bargained.

"You already have one godchild to take care of, Cher." Diana said with a laugh as she passed her Nate.

She excitedly grabbed the baby and went away, Diana then went over to Nana Rose.

"Come one, Nana Rose, let's get you a good spot by the food." She said as she pushed the wheelchair to the buffet tables.

Penelope slowly approached Polly.

"Polly. Let me begin with an apology. When I first heard that you had escaped from wherever you were the night that Jason's getaway car burned down, my initial instinct, to put all the blame on you being Jason's killer was wrong. I hope you can forgive me." She said as she outstretched her hands towards Polly who took it.

Alice was about to go over and give Penelope a piece of her mind when Betty stopped her.

"Think happy thoughts." She reminded her mother as she smiled at Penelope Blossom.

Penelope sent a small smile their way before going over to where Cheryl was hogging baby Nate. Everyone was milling around, just talking and catching up with Polly. After an hour, she was with Nana Rose.

"This necklace reads the baby's aura." She stated as she waved around a purple crystal necklace above Polly's palm as Betty watched on.

"Predicts the sex." Nana Rose continued.

"Nana has dementia and gypsy blood." Cheryl told Veronica and Diana.

"Oh!" Nana suddenly exclaimed and everyone turned their heads.

"What? Is my baby okay?" Polly asked worriedly.

"Babies. It's twins. One of each!" Nana Rose reported.

"This is occultism at its most ludicrous. But I'm grateful to be here." Alice whispered to Betty.

All of a sudden, a cry erupted and everyone's heads turned to Daniel who was the one holding Nate.

"Uh, Di? I think someone's hungry." He sheepishly said as he went over and handed Diana a crying Nate.

"Excuse us, for a minute." Diana said as she cooed and shushed her baby to make him calm down and stop crying and made her way up the stairs.

"Hey, wait! Mommy and I wanna feed him." Cheryl called out as she followed Diana with Penelope on their heels.

 _ **Later that night…**_

They were currently milling around, watching Polly open the presents she received for the baby.

"Oh! Thanks guys!" Polly said as she held up a crib mobile with sheep.

"Okay, now Mom's." Betty told her as Polly set aside the gift and took the purple paper bag.

"It's my nightlight. When I was a little kid." Polly explained and everyone awed.

"How did you… Where did you even…" Polly tried to come up with a question.

"I saved it. I know how much you loved it and how it made you feel safe. And I wanted you to be able to pass it down to your own baby one day." Alice told her.

"Alice, it's lovely." Hermione commented.

"Open ours next, dear." Penelope said as she placed her cup of tea down.

That moment, Archie entered the room and hurriedly walked over to where Jughead, Daniel, and Diana were standing.

"You were protecting him. That's why you didn't tell me." Archie accused Jughead.

"Relax. What happened?" Jughead asked him.

Betty and Veronica stood to join them.

"Did you know that Jughead's father is a Serpent?

"No." Betty said, looking at Jughead.

"That's why he tried to stop me from going to the bar, so I wouldn't find out. After everything my dad has done for you…" Archie told him.

"Archie. I can explain, okay?" Jughead told him.

"But not right now. This is Polly's day, so you two need to check yourselves. I mean it." Veronica warned them.

Diana ran a hand up and down Archie's upper arm, to calm him down.

"Archie…" Jughead trailed off.

"No, save it." Archie angrily said.

"Come on." Diana told him, holding onto his arm tighter and dragging him to the exit.

Once they were outside the main door, she stopped and turned to look at him.

"Why would you do that?" She asked.

"Do what?"

"Go in there angry and tell Jughead off about his dad. You knew we were hosting Polly's baby shower today and given your mood, you still chose to come here."

"Look, I just found out that Jughead's dad is a Serpent. I-" Archie started but Diana cut him off.

"You what? You can't associate yourself with him? Haven't you ever heard of the saying 'the sins of the father are not the sins of the son'? And how sure are you that he was really the one who did it. What if the other members acted on their own accord, did you ever think of that? Go home, Archie and sleep on it." Diana said as she turned and walked back inside where an argument between Penelope and Alice was taking place and Diana had had enough.

"Enough! Both of you! This is why Jason is dead! Because of this hate. This pointless, stupid fighting. We were supposed to celebrate Polly and her baby today and you just had to make this all about your feud, didn't you? Didn't I already say, stress is not good for pregnant women! I already lost one child because of it!" Diana screamed and everyone looked shocked at her revelation.

Daniel came to her rescue.

"Di, it's okay. Come here. Let's go see Nate." He whispered as he placed an arm around her and lead her upstairs to where Nate was.

Diana was already sobbing when she entered the nursery with Daniel. The nanny hurriedly stood up and left them both. Diana went and approached the crib where Nate was sleeping and picked him up. He stirred a little and Diana rocked him gently.

"Shhh… It's okay, baby boy. Mommy's here. I'll always be here to protect you, I promise." She said as she approached the door that connected to her room where Daniel had already turned the lights on.

She sat on the rocking chair overlooking a big window with the view of Kennedy Estate's vast backyard garden. In the middle of it, was a little tombstone she recently had erected.

"I'm sorry baby boy. I failed you and your brother. Mommy wasn't strong enough to protect you and your little brother had to say goodbye. But, I think he's with daddy right now. And they're both watching over us." Diana whispered to the sleeping Nate as she rocked herself in the chair while looking at the tombstone in the garden.

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER THE BABY SHOWER || EVERGREEN MANOR) -

"Polly's finally asleep." Betty told Jughead who was seated on a couch.

"What a mess." Betty stated.

"I should have told you about my dad when I had the chance." Jughead told her.

"So, why didn't you?" Betty asked,

"I was ashamed." Jughead admitted.

"Jughead, if we're gonna be together, I want to know who you are. All of it." Betty said as she held his hand.

"Okay." Jughead agreed.

"Okay. But Juggy, we should talk to your dad. He might know something about Jason." Betty said and Jughead agreed. They both went to go see him.

\- TIMESKIP (LATE THAT NIGHT || ANDREWS RESIDENCE) -

Archie was practicing guitar when Jughead arrived.

"I should have trusted you. There's no excuse. I was afraid that the Serpents and my dad were the ones doing those messed up things. I didn't wanna believe that was true. I mean, he's my dad, Archie." Jughead explained to him.

"I get that. I do. Diana helped put sense through my head. But, Jughead, you can talk to me about anything. You're like… You're like my brother." Archie said the last part quietly.

"Nice bro-whisper, Archie." Jughead teased.

"You are my brother," he continued, "And I'm here for you and your dad. So what can I do?" He asked Archie.

"Pray for a miracle." Archie told him.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || EVERGREEN MANOR) -

Diana woke up and got ready before Nate's feeding time. After showering, dressing and feeding Nate, she went downstairs where Polly was eating breakfast with Daniel.

"Good morning, guys. And Polly, I'm so sorry about-" Diana started to say but was cut off when Polly hugged her.

"You went through so much already, Diana. And yet, you're still here, fighting even though sometimes, the waves are against you. Penelope Blossom has offered me a home in Thornhill just to show that there are no hard feelings and my mom has invited me to come home." Polly informed her.

"It's up to you, Polly. But you are always welcome to stay with us, I want to keep you and the baby safe. Seeing you happy and contented makes me feel like I've made up for my mistakes when I was pregnant with Nathaniel and Matthew. I feel like I'm making up for Matthew by making sure you and this baby or babies could want for nothing." Diana honestly told her.

"If that's the case, I'm staying with you guys then. I feel the most comfortable here, right now. And hearing what you went through because of the stress, I should avoid getting into trouble or worrying. And I don't think of that when I'm here." Polly told her.

"It's settled then. You made the right choice. You'll be safe here with us." Daniel told her with a grin.


	19. Episode 9 - Maple Syrup Week

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

 _Thicker than blood. More precious than oil. Riverdale's big business is maple syrup. Since the town's founding, one family has controlled its lucrative syrup trade, the Blossoms._

 _They were a part of the fabric of our daily lives… Rich or poor, old or young, we consumed Blossom syrup by the bucket. That sickly, sweet smell was inescapable._

 _The death of Jason Blossom precipitated a crisis. With the heir apparent gone, who would inherit the family business one day? Certainly, not Cheryl. It was a question that brought the wolves to Riverdale. And now, the Blossoms were circling the wagons against possible attack, from within their own ranks._

* * *

Diana was watching her son when she got a text from Cheryl.

 _Fr: Cher-bear_

 _The Blossoms need you and Nate ASAP._

Diana sighed before picking Nate up and driving to Thornhill. When she got there, she had only just exited her vehicle before being escorted to the Maple Syrup Factory of the Estate.

"Okay, I'm just wondering what I'm doing here?" Diana asked as she and Cheryl, who was holding an umbrella over them stood behind Penelope and Clifford.

"This week is the official start of maple syrup season and the board of trustees are descending upon us like a cabal of vampires because since Jason's death, no apparent heir has been named." Penelope reminded her.

"When they get here, we just have to keep a united front. Simple as that." Clifford instructed them and they stood there in the snow and welcome the board of trustees when they arrived.

After the whole thing, Diana was fastening Nate up in her car when Penelope and Cheryl approached.

"Diana dear, if it's not too much to ask, since Nathaniel here is Jason's only child, he is considered an heir of the company and we already considered you family even before then. Would it be possible for you to sleep here with Nate while those people are circling around? You are required to attend all the activities and you can even bring Mr. Andrews with you." Penelope stated before she turned to Cheryl.

"Make sure you find a respectable date, I don't want you embarrassing us again." She said before walking off.

"Ugh, I have to look for a date and since you already have dibs on Archie, I have to look for someone else." Cheryl told her.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. Anyways, I'll be back tonight with our stuff. See you." Diana told her as she entered the car and drove away.

\- TIMESKIP (SCHOOL DAY || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Daniel was at the music room. A lot of people didn't know it, but he was very good at playing guitar and drums. He was in the middle of writing a song for Veronica when Cheryl came in.

"Danny. If music be the food of love, play on, play on." She said as she came and sat near him while Daniel rolled his eyes.

"I know you enough to know you want something, Cher. Spit it out." Daniel told her.

"Did you know this week's the official start of maple syrup season?"

"Diana mentioned it to me. Why?"

"Every year, you know that we host a tree-tapping ceremony, a tradition that honors the Blossom bloodline. Our heritage." Cheryl told him.

"I know all about traditions, the Kennedys have got a lot of them as well." Daniel replied.

"Well, you would also know how exclusive they can get. You and Diana have gone together every year ever since we met. But, since this year, Diana is bringing along Archie Andrews, wanna be my date?" Chery offered.

"You know I'm seeing someone, right?" Daniel asked her.

"The maple-tapping's something Jason and I have done together since we could walk. It was our extra-special thing. But I… I can't face it alone. If you came, as my escort, I think I could get through it." Cheryl explained.

"Maybe you could invite Kevin? Or Reggie?" Danny gave her other choices.

"You don't get it, do you? I don't want Kevin or Reggie. I want you. You and Diana have been part of our family ever since we were kids and apart from Jason, you were one of the people who always had my back when I needed it the most. But, never mind. I'm sorry I asked." Cheryl stated as she stood to exit the room.

"Cher, hold on." Danny called out but Cheryl paid him no attention.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT DAY || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Daniel was taking out books from his locker and closed the door and jumped when he saw Penelope Blossom standing there.

"Daniel. I was going to get Principal Weatherbee to summon you." She greeted.

"Hey, Aunt Penelope." Daniel greeted back.

"Have a moment to chat? About Cheryl. I believe she asked you to be her escort at our tree-tapping ceremony?"

"Yeah. She did, and like I told her, I don't feel comfortable going with her when I's already seeing someone." Daniel explained.

"Daniel, we've always considered you and Diana family, ever since I could remember. I know you. You're good and decent, Daniel, unlike most people in this town." Penelope told him.

"Aunt Penelope, I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll reconsider escorting my daughter to the tapping. It's just an afternoon. And it would mean the world to my Cheryl."

"I mean, yeah. I guess I could talk to Veronica." Daniel told her.

"I'll tell Cheryl the good news." Penelope said as she walked away.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER || STUDENT LOUNGE) -

Daniel walked inside the lounge to find his friends talking and eating.

"Just in time, I've been looking all over for you." Veronica greeted as she stood up and kissed his cheek.

"Archie and Diana were just telling us about how Archie's been considered as one of the applicants to go into some super-exclusive music program this summer." Kevin explained and Daniel nodded, he knew about Kennedy Records requirements, after all, and they didn't take in just anyone.

"Maybe. If it happens, though, it would be huge for me." Archie told them.

"Do you have to audition for it?" Jughead asked him.

"Yes, he does. I sent in his application along with one of his songs to the board but they also have to hear and see him perform live. Kennedy Records is a well-known establishment of music and everyone knows that they don't just let anyone into the company. No one on the board knows that I sent in that application and no one in that board knows I know him. I'm proving to Archie that he could go far in music even without my help." Diana told them.

Daniel sat beside Ronnie and bent down to kiss the side of her head.

"Can I talk to you alone?" He whispered in her ear.

"Right now?" She whispered back as their friends continued on talking.

Daniel nodded and they both stood up and stepped outside.

"So, what is it you wanted to tell me?" Ronnie asked once it was only the both of them.

"Well, you see, Cheryl asked me to the tree-tapping ceremony. And I was wondering if it would be okay with you if I take her that afternoon. I mean, I'm going anyways and I wanted to support her with Jason being gone this year and all." Daniel nervously told her.

"Fine. You can take her to that tree-tapping ceremony. But, you better make it clear to her that you're going as friends and nothing more, or I swear, I'll crush that little-" Ronnie started ranting when Daniel cut her off with a kiss.

"What was supposed to be a small peck turned into a make out session as Ronnie placed her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back. After a while, they both pulled away, a little out of breath.

"I promise to tell her we'll only be going as friends. It's nice of you to allow me to do this for her, babe. You're the best." Daniel told her before kissing her again.

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER SCHOOL || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Diana was slowly walking towards her car when Archie caught up with her.

"Hey, Di." He greeted.

"Hey, Arch." She replied as she pecked his cheek.

"Di, I was just wondering. Daniel said that this week was the start of maple syrup season. And Betty and Juggy mentioned something about the Blossom's board of trustees being here for it. Daniel then said that Penelope Blossom asked you to sleep in Thornhill why they were there and that you were required to attend the mandatory events. Why haven't you asked me to accompany you? You know I would, right?" Archie asked her.

"I have no doubt that you would in a heartbeat, Arch. But, these people, they're not nice. They're looking for a way to break through the Blossom family's ranks so they can take over the company. And most of all, they talk and gossip a lot. I don't want to drag you into a situation like that. They will talk about how I got pregnant with Jason's baby out of wedlock and if I bring you with me, they'll talk about you and I together when Jason just died. I can't ask you to endure that for me. You're a nice guy, Archie Andrews and you don't deserve people talking about you in that way." Diana admitted to him.

"And you think I'll allow you to endure all that on your own? Diana, I promised to protect you. How can I do that when you keep me out of the loop? I don't care what people have to say about me as long as I get to protect you from what they say about you and about Nate." Archie fiercely said as he pulled Diana into a hug.

"Well, if you're sure about this. Archie Andrews, it would be an honor if you would accompany me to the tree-tapping ceremony." Diana told him with a smile.

"There's nothing else I'd rather do." Archie told her with a grin.

\- TIMESKIP (TREE TAPPING CEREMONY || BLOSSOM MAPLE FARM) -

Cheryl and Daniel were walking side by side towards where the tree-tapping would be happening.

"When Jason died, I thought I'd tapped my last tree. Now, don't be nervous. All you have to do is hold the bucket steady, I'll handle the rest." Cheryl reminded him.

"So, I'm guessing these people are from the board of trustees?" Daniel asked when he saw the group.

"They smell blood in the water. That's why they're here. They're worried Daddy's losing his grip on the company and they're looking for a way to take it away from us." Cheryl told him and Daniel nodded in understanding.

"I can't even count the number of times people have tried that on Derrick as well. When our parents died, their lawyers kept the hounds at bay until Derrick turned 18 and started college. That's when he decided to take over. My brother was able to balance studying and working but the hounds were out for blood. He didn't want Diana and I to get caught in the crossfire so he moved us here and some of our Aunts and Uncles would take turns watching us." Daniel told her.

"Well, you know if they all vote together, they can replace my dad. When Jason died, it was a PR debacle. And now, Diana appears with his son and unwed. And she's recently started seeing Archie. Don't get me wrong, I want her to be happy. But, it's no wonder they've descended upon us like some biblical plague." Cheryl said as they reached the group of people and stepped up front where Penelope and Clifford started addressing the crowd.

"Nearly 100 years ago, Grandfather Blossom came to this sacred maple grove. The annual tapping ceremony portends each season's bounty. Now, I've performed this ceremony many times in my life. My son Jason, when he came of age, performed it as well. In his place, I put forth my daughter Cheryl." Clifford said, gesturing for Cheryl and Daniel to step forward.

"Hey. You can do this in your sleep." Daniel reassured her as he saw how nervous she was.

Cheryl nodded and hit the spiel and maple started flowing into the bucket Daniel was holding.

"Good shot. Nice." Daniel said as the crowd applauded for Cheryl and he made sure not to drop any of the maple.

After a while, the group all gathered around to take pictures. Before walking back towards the cars. Archie, Diana, who was holing Nate, Daniel and Cheryl were all walking together behind a couple when they heard the couple start talking.

"I don't buy this dog-and-pony show for a second. Cliff can't control his own family, let alone the company." The man said.

"Agreed. And if he tries to put Chery forward as a successor… Do you remember what she did at the funeral? Crocodile tears." The woman added.

"Yes, and that Diana girl as well who spawned Jason's child? She's a slut for having a child that young. And bringing her new boyfriend along here when Jason's barely been laid to rest." The man replied and Diana had to hold Archie back.

Archie looked at Diana and she shook her head, reminding him not to make a scene.

"I don't think Jason's the father of that child at all. Maybe that boyfriend is and she just decided to tell Jason since she had more to gain with him." The woman theorized and Daniel had had enough.

"Hey." He called out to them and Cheryl tried to stop him.

"Danny, you don't have to."

"No, Cheryl loved Jason. What was she meant to do at his funeral, not cry? If there's one thing I learned from being Cheryl's friend all these years it's don't underestimate her and don't bet against her. And my sister is not a slut. Nate was an accident, yes but we wouldn't change anything that happened for anything in the world. And what do you expect her to do? Just cry for his loss forever? She has the right to move on and you don't have the right to judge her for that. Choose your words carefully when you don't even know what or who you're talking about. The Kennedy don't take kindly to anyone messing with family." He said as he went around them and started walking away, Diana, Archie and Cheryl right behind him.

When they got to where the cars were, Clifford pulled Archie aside.

"Archibald, do you know, when Diana informed me that you accepted her invitation to come with us, I was a little taken aback. Your father and I haven't been seeing eye-to-eye lately." Cliff told him.

"I came for Diana, Mr. Blossom. I made a promise that I would always be there for her." Archie told him.

"Yes, I understand. I assume you'll also be escorting her to the banquet we are holding later this week?" Clifford asked him.

"Yes, sir. That's the plan."

"Okay, please send Daniel my way, Archibald. It was nice talking to you." Cliff said and Archie nodded before leaving to join Diana and help her with Nate while telling Daniel Cliff's message.

Daniel approached Clifford.

"Archie said you wanted to talk to me, Uncle Clifford?" Daniel asked him.

"Yes Daniel, I would just like to thank you for coming as Cheryl's escort today. Now later this week, we're hosting a banquet for the board at the Belmont Lodge. It's a simple thing, a little dinner, chit-chat, dancing. We would love you to attend as Cheryl's escort. You two make quite the pair." Clifford explained to him.

"Oh, I'm honored, Uncle, really, but…" Daniel was trying to explain that Veronica might not like this when Cheryl cut him off.

"But nothing. You have to come, I'm wearing viridian." Cheryl informed him.

"If that's not a problem?" Clifford asked Daniel.

"No. No, no, it's just that-" Daniel tried to say but Clifford cut him off.

"You are a Kennedy, Daniel. Your entire family has been in the main frame of politics and business. People like you are the bedrock of not only our town, but also our nation. You should come to the banquet." Clifford convinced.

"Plus, I need a dance partner. We won't take no for an answer, Danny."

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || ANDREWS RESIDENCE) -

Diana smiled at Archie as he pulled up outside his house. She had offered to give him a ride home and he had volunteered to drive them there. She turned in her seat to face him.

"I have a surprise for you." She grinned at him as she faced the back seat and pulled out a guitar case he didn't notice there before. She handed it to him.

"Open it." She requested and Archie popped the case open to reveal a red guitar.

"It's a '84 Les Paul." Archie said, as he stared at the thing, amazed.

"It's red because it reminded me of your ginger hair." Diana teased him.

"Di, babe, I can't accept this." Archie said as he shook his head, still staring at it in wonder.

"Yes, you can. I bought this for you. You've been amazing and patient with me these past few weeks. You're there for me every step of the way and I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me." Diana told him.

"You looking out for me and taking care of me while allowing me to take care of you is all I'll ever need, Di. I'm not with you for the fame, the money, the attention or anything else." Archie informed her.

"I know that. And that's why you deserve this. You should use it for your audition for Kennedy Records. You'll reach great lengths, Arch. I know you will. And I'll be behind you 100%." Diana reassured him as she grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss.

\- TIMESKIP (DAY OF THE BANQUET || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Daniel sighed as he parked in front of the school and pulled out his phone to call Veronica.

"Hey, can you meet me outside?" He asked as soon as she picked up.

A few moments later, Veronica had entered the passenger's seat of his car.

"Are we going somewhere?" She asked him with a smile.

"I was hoping we could talk." Daniel told her.

"About what?" She asked him.

"Uncle Clifford requested that I escort Cheryl to the banquet that they're holding for the board of trustees tonight."

"You said no, right?" Ronnie asked her.

"Right?" She asked again when he didn't say anything.

Daniel sighed.

"Look, babe, you know I can't-" He tried to explain but Ronnie cut him off.

"I can't believe this. You're actually choosing her over me, your own girlfriend. Why is that, Danny? Is it because you think the whole world will accept it better if you were with perfect little miss Cheryl Blossom than with me, the daughter of Hiram Lodge?" Veronica ranted, angry.

"What? No! It isn't like that. I just-" Daniel tried to say his piece but Ronnie wouldn't let him finish.

"I knew that bitch was trying to steal you from me. I just can't believe that you're stupid enough to fall into her trap. You know what, if you want to go, that's fine. But don't expect to see me waiting for you when you come back." Ronnie said as she exited the vehicle and slammed the door hard before walking back into the school.

Daniel just sighed deeply before shaking his head, deciding to skip school for the day, putting his car on drive and speeding away.

 **(WITH VERONICA)**

She had just come back to her locker after her argument with Daniel when Kevin approached.

"Oh, my God, did you hear? Remember when you went swooping in to save Ethel 'cause you thought she might be suicidal?" He asked Ronnie.

"Oh, no. She didn't…" Ronnie trailed off but Kevin spoke.

"No, but her dad did. He accidentally swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills." At this, Veronica broke.

With what's been happening with her dad and now with Daniel, she couldn't take it anymore. She walked to the girls' locker room and leaned against a sink and sobbed. She looked into the mirror and pulled out the pearl necklace her dad gave her before doing the same with a platinum charm bracelet Daniel gave. She fell to the floor, crying before Diana and Betty came to her rescue, trying to comfort her in her time of need. Diana sighed as she looked to her right and saw the bracelet, it's lock broken but repairable. She picked it up and kept it in her pocket.

\- TIMESKIP (BLOSSOM BANQUET || BELMONT LODGE) -

Everyone was seated in a long table. Penelope had hired a nanny for the night so Diana could enjoy it. Clifford stood and started speaking.

"We were tested this year. As a town, as a company, mainly as a family. And it may not have been Jason's hand that staked the maple this year, but it was a hand of hope." He said as he raised a glass in Cheryl's direction and everyone applauded.

"Don't think they're being nice or genuine. They may be to you and Diana but never to me. They wanted me to fail at the tree-tapping. But you're going to help with all that." Cheryl whispered to Daniel.

"I'll do whatever I can." He reassured his friend.

They both watched as Clifford stood up and approached Archie who was talking quietly with Diana.

 **(WITH ARCHIE)**

He was talking to Diana when Clifford Blossom tapped his shoulder.

"Archibald, have a word?" He asked and Archie nodded before standing.

"I'll be right back." He told Diana.

Both men stepped out to the side.

"I just wanted to let you know that I've decided to help your father." Clifford informed him.

"You did? You will?" Archie clarified.

"Well, you've helped Diana, especially with Nate. You both fit so well. I think you remind Nate of his dad. Maybe that's why he's so fond of you. Jason would have wanted this for Diana." He told Archie.

"Thank you, Mr. Blossom." Archie thanked him.

"Clifford, please. Now, off you go." Clifford said, dismissing him and Archie walked back to Diana.

Clifford started approaching Daniel,

"Danny, my boy, a word?" He asked and Daniel nodded before following him.

"You've helped our family o much this past week. Cheryl, especially. You fit in so well. I think you have a bright future with us." Clifford commended him.

"Thank you, Uncle Clifford. But Cheryl is my friend, and I'm happy to be here for her." Daniel told him.

"You know, I'm going to be honest with you. Cheryl's a bright girl, but the Blossom board, they're very skeptical of having her play an active role in the company. Now, someone with your stock and character by her side, tempering her more erratic behavior…" Clifford chuckled and Danny could see where this was going.

"You know, it's about creating a picture. The right picture. Having you and Diana with us and you with Cheryl, it tells a very appealing story. Which is something I think we could all use right about now. You'll help us, won't you?" Clifford asked him but before Danny could say anything, Diana interrupted.

"Excuse me, Uncle Clifford, may I have this first dance with my brother? It's one of our traditions in events like these." Diana said with a smile.

"I think that's an excellent idea." Clifford said as Diana took Daniel's hand and led him to dance while Clifford walked away.

They were dancing for a while when they heard Cheryl argue with her dad.

"I'm so done with this." She cried out.

"Do not make a scene." Clifford told her.

"No, I'm done. I'm done!" She said as she walked out the door.

"Di, will you excuse me?" Daniel told her sister as he went to help Cheryl.

He found her standing by the pool.

"Cheryl. You okay?" Daniel asked to check on her.

"What did my dad say to you? That everyone thinks I'm a train wreck? Jason was the golden boy, but me… people hate me, Dan." Cheryl told him.

"Hey, don't say that." Danny tried to say but Cheryl shook her head.

"And at school, that's fine, whatever. But this is my family." Cheryl told him.

"Forget them, Cher. Forget what they think. Diana and I will always have your back. And we think you're awesome." Danny reassured her with a grin.

"Oh, Danny, sometimes I think you and Diana may be the only decent people left in Riverdale. The only people who don't want anything from me. Or don't want me to apologize for who I am and what I want." Cheryl said as she kissed him.

"What are you doing?" Danny said as he pushed her away.

"I've liked you for as long as I can remember. My lipstick's maple red, by the way. In case you're wondering why it tastes so sweet." Cheryl admitted.

Daniel shook his head and angrily walked off, leaving Cheryl there. Then, he heard a conversation between Penelope and Clifford. He was pacing in front of the Lodge when Cheryl approached him again.

"Danny! I thought it was Cinderella who ran away from the ball, not Prince Charming."

"Cheryl, I can't do this right now. I'm leaving."

"I thought you were my friend, Danny. That you'd be willing to help me through anything with Jason gone."

"Cheryl, I came here as a favor to your mom, to help you. But I don't think of you that way. I'll never see you as anything more than a friend or even a sister. I love Veronica. And I should have told her that before. I'm sorry, Cheryl but I can't do this anymore. Goodbye." Danny said as he walked towards his car.

 **(WITH BETTY)**

She got home from going to the doctors with Polly. Her mom was there, moping that Polly hadn't chosen to come home to them but stayed with the Kennedys.

"Mom? I just came from the hospital with Polly. She wanted me to tell you that she's safe and happy. She's having twins, mom. And she's so ecstatic. But she said that with twins, she'll have to be even more careful and stay away from stress even more. She doesn't wanna be caught in between whatever feud you have with the Blossoms so she's staying away for the meantime. But she's not choosing anyone over us." Betty told her mom and Alice Cooper cried as she realized that her daughter was right to stay away for the meantime.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || THE PEMBROOKE) -

Daniel exited his car, bringing a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates and a huge stuffed teddy bear. He saw Veronica walking and decided to approach her.

"Babe. Babe, hey. Look, you were right. About Cheryl liking me as more than a friend. After last night, I promise you I'll keep my distance from her whenever we're alone." Daniel said as he begged Veronica to forgive him.

"Good for you, Daniel. But I'm done with you. I told you time and time again about what Cheryl does but you never listen." Ronnie told him as she kept walking.

"Babe, please. Just listen to me, let me make it up to you." Danny pleaded.

"Sorry, Daniel, but this time, I'll be the one who stops listening." Veronica said as she entered the Pembrooke.

Daniel sighed as he approached Smithers who was standing by the door.

"Hello, Mr. Kennedy." He greeted Daniel.

"Hello, Smithers. Can you please do me a favor and take these up to Veronica's room when she leaves? We had a big fight and I don't know what I should do to make her forgive me." Daniel said as he handed the items over.

"Of course, sir. I'll just hold on to those first." He replied and Daniel thanked him again before taking his leave.

-TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Veronica entered the classroom to see Ethel seated in front. She tentatively approached her.

"Ethel, I meant what I said. I'm sorry, Ethel, for everything my family did to yours." She apologized to the girl.

"It's not your fault what your dad did. And you were there for me when no one else was. More than once. Seat's not taken, if you want it." Ethel informed her, gesturing to the seat beside her and Veronica smiled before sitting down.

* * *

 _It seemed that, for Veronica, the sins of the father would remain simply that. While Daniel Kennedy returned from the brink with one more bit of news._

* * *

Daniel was seated in front of Archie, Diana, Betty and Jughead.

"At the banquet, I heard Uncle Clifford and Aunt Penelope talking. It sounded like Uncle Cliff was responsible for sending Veronica's dad to jail." Danny told them.

"Oh, my God. If Clifford sent Hiram Lodge to jail, tore apart his family, then maybe Hiram was trying to do the same thing to him?" Betty asked them.

"Yeah, by going after what the Blossoms value most, their family, their legacy. That's a motive." Jughead stated as he pinned a card that said HIRAM LODGE on their Jason Blossom murder board.

* * *

 _Winter had come early to Riverdale. Brutal and unforgiving._

 _But it would be nothing compared to the storm that was gathering. A storm of chaos named… Cheryl Blossom._


	20. Episode 10 - Happy Birthday Jughead

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

 _Weekdays, from 8:25 a.m. to 3:01 p.m., we adhere to a strict regimen. Everything in our lives controlled._

 _But then something like the murder of Jason Blossom happens, and you realize there is no such thing as control. There is only chaos._

 _Nevertheless, some of us strive to impose and maintain order in what is, fundamentally, an orderless world. A fact which would very soon be confirmed in ways none of us could have foreseen._

\- TIMESKIP (RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Diana and Betty brought Ronnie to the lounge to tell her about her dad.

"Veronica, there's something we need to talk to you about." Betty told her once they were all seated.

"Bring it. After the morning I've had, I'm ready for just about anything." Ronnie said as she placed her coffee cup on the table.

"Okay, well, you know Daniel and Diana were with the Blossoms. While their board was in town, Daniel, um…" Betty trailed off then nudged Diana.

"Why don't you tell her? You were there too. And he's your brother." Betty told her.

"I didn't actually hear the conversation, but, okay." Diana said as she sighed.

"Why is this suddenly feeling like a friendtervention?" Ronnie asked the two of them.

"Danny overheard Mr. Blossom say he's the one responsible for your dad being arrested and put in jail." Diana told her.

"Are you kidding? Why the hell would Clifford Blossom have anything to do with why he's in prison?" She asked them both.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT MORNING || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Betty and Archie were walking along the hallways together, talking.

"Hey, you may or may not know this, but it's Jughead's birthday." Archie admitted to her and Betty's eyes widened.

"What? And he didn't say anything?" Betty told him.

"It's tomorrow, and he doesn't like making a big deal out of it. Every year, he goes to a double feature at the Bijou. It's like this tradition. Last few years, I've been his movie-buddy. But now that he has a girlfriend…" Archie trailed off, looking at Betty.

"Well, of course, I'll take him. But you should still come with us." Betty invited.

"No. I don't wanna be a third wheel." Archie replied.

"Come on. It'll be like old times." Betty said with a laugh, hugging him sideways.

"The Three Musketeers." He laughed.

"Actually, Archie, there were four Musketeers." Betty said, getting an idea.

"I'll see you later, Betty." Archie laughed before leaving.

\- TIMESKIP (LUNCH PERIOD || RIVERDALE HIGH CAFETERIA) -

Archie, Diana, Kevin, Betty and Veronica were all seated at a table in the cafeteria. Daniel was still giving Ronnie her wanted space and Jughead was nowhere to be seen.

"Anyway, enough about my drama. Betty, you were saying something about Jughead's birthday?" Ronnie asked her.

"Yeah. Mr. Jones told me Jughead's never had a birthday party." She stated as Archie nodded in confirmation.

"What? Are you serious?" Diana asked.

"Let's have one for him. Like, a low-key surprise party." Betty suggested and Archie started shaking his head.

"Uh, no, no." He tried saying but Veronica agreed.

"That's a fantastic idea." She told Betty.

"Jughead doesn't like his birthday." Archie stated.

"Everybody says that, nobody means it." Kevin interjected.

"Jughead does seem like a lone wolf." Diana backed Archie up.

"Okay. Ignoring the negativity. Betty, you know me, any excuse to wear a cute party dress." Ronnie said and Betty let out a "Yeah."

"Okay, so I'm thinking a quaint gathering, inner-circle only." Ronnie continued but further planning was cut off when Kevin spoke.

"Oh, my God, don't turn around." He said to Betty and Veronica who both looked anyways.

"Holy Chuck, I think his lats got bigger." Kevin said and Diana nudged him.

"Not that I care, because he's evil incarnate." Kevin saved.

"What's Chuck Clayton doing back?" Archie asked.

"He got suspended, not expelled. Even though he should have been drawn and quartered for what he did." Ronnie explained as Betty stood to go to Chuck who was talking to Ethel.

"Oh, my God." Diana said when she noticed where Betty was heading.

"Get away from her, Chuck." Betty ordered him as she reached the table.

"Easy. Look, I only came over here to apologize. You don't have to go Dark Betty on me again." Chuck told her.

"I'm not going!" Betty raised her voice but realized where she was and composed herself.

"I'm not going Dark anything. Ethel, is Chuck bothering you?" She said, a lot calmer this time.

"You can relax, Betty, it's fine." Ethel told her.

"Yeah, Betty, we're fine. The real question is, are you?" Chuck asked her and Betty clenched her fists as she made her way back to the table.

Diana, Kevin, Archie, and Ronnie all watched as Chuck looked at their table and winked at Diana. Diana made a disgusted expression as she turned back towards the table and Archie glared at Chuck.

"What was he doing? Accosting her?" Ronnie asked Betty.

"No, he was… Apologizing." Betty stated.

"Oh, I'm so sure. Chuck Clayton doesn't have a contrite bone in his muscle-bound body." Ronnie replied sarcastically.

"You know what, can we talk about something else? Like… Like Jughead's surprise party." Betty told them as she looked down at her palms.

"Betty?" Veronica called as she spaced out and Betty cleared her throat.

"Look, there's a lot I can't do, a lot I can't control. But I can damn well make sure my boyfriend has the best birthday of his life." Betty proposed.

"Screw it. I'm with Betty. My dad's away. We can do it at my house. We could all use a good time." Archie said as he wrapped an arm around Diana's waist and pulled her closer.

"Now you're talking my language." Ronnie said as she nodded in agreement.

"It's gonna be epic." Archie surmised.

\- TIMESKIP (THAT NIGHT || ANDREWS RESIDENCE) -

Archie and Jughead were preparing to eat pizza for dinner.

"So… a John Landis double feature at the Bijou. American Werewolf in London and Animal House." Jughead informed him.

"That's awesome. Except… You're going with Betty instead." Archie told him and Jughead sighed.

"You told her about my birthday? Dude, come on. That's a primal betrayal." Jughead scolded.

"Why do you hate your birthday so much, Jug?" Archie asked.

"PTSD from when I was a kid. I don't know. Things were always messed up at home. Usually because of my dad. And then there was this arbitrary day, that we would just get together and pretend things were great, we were normal. And it just made me feel really lonely." Jughead told him.

\- TIMESKIP (RIVER VIXEN PRACTICE || SCHOOL GYM) -

Veronica was late to River Vixen practice, and she knew it. When she got there, everyone was doing high jumps except for Cheryl who was counting down.

"You're late, Veronica, we've already reviewed the new choreography for Homecoming. That means you'll be in the back, where your presence will do the least amount of damage." Cheryl told her.

"With you front and center, no doubt." Veronica, who was still mad at her for kissing Daniel, replied.

"But of course. I do have the maddest skills on this squad." Cheryl said.

"And because you're a Blossom, we have to accept whatever you say as gospel truth?" Ronnie sassed back.

"You're welcome to challenge me, Veronica, but you'll lose."

"We live in a democratic society, Cheryl. So, let's let the Vixens decide who's cherry on top."

"Challenge accepted."

"Great." And the two moved to the center while the other vixens moved to the side.

They started their dance off and by the end of it, Betty stepped forward.

"All those for Cheryl?" She asked and nobody made a sound.

"All those for Veronica?" Betty asked again and this time, loud cheers erupted.

"Never cross a Lodge. Come on, girls." She said as she turned to exit the gym.

\- TIMESKIP (HOURS BEFORE SURPRISE PARTY || ANDREWS RESIDENCE) -

Diana parked her car a little way away from Archie's house so she didn't raise suspicions when Jughead arrived. She wanted to get there earlier to help Archie make sure everything was ready and perfect. However, when she entered the house, she saw Archie finishing a bottle of alcohol.

"Arch? What the hell are you doing?" She asked as she took the almost empty bottle away from him.

"Babe! I was wondering when you'd come." Archie said as he pulled Diana closer and tried to kiss her.

"No, no, no. No kisses until you tell me what's going on." Diana said as she dodged his attempts to kiss her.

"I'm just celebrating. It's Jughead's birthday!" Archie lied and she sighed.

"Oh, baby. Come on, you should lay down for a while before the others arrive." She said as she led him over to the couch where she sat on one end and patted her lap.

Archie understood this and laid his head on her lap and his body on the couch. Diana ran her fingers through his hair. And kissed his forehead.

"This isn't you, Archie. If you feel the urge to vent, talk to me. Don't drown your sorrows in alcohol." She told him as he closed his eyes.

"You take such good care of me." Archie slurred.

"Of course, I love you and it's the least I could do after all you've done." She told him.

 _ **A few hours later…**_

Kevin, his boyfriend, Joaquin, Daniel and Ethel had arrived. Diana woke Archie up from his nap hoping that he had sobered up but he was still drunk. He was walking a bit funny and apparently was a hungry drunk. Diana watched him, making sure he didn't do anything stupid.

"If it's a double feature, does that mean I have time to go to the bathroom?" Ethel asked Daniel, Kevin and Joaquin.

Archie walked over to sit beside Diana who was on the couch and pulled her closer, being very touchy-feely.

"I'd hold it, Ethel." Kevin answered and they heard footsteps.

They all turned to the door.

"Surprise!" They called out but stopped when they saw it was only Veronica.

"Do I look like Jughead to you?" She asked them.

"Oh. Betty texted me. They're almost here." Kevin said, looking at his phone.

"You've met Joaquin, right?" He continued, gesturing to his boyfriend.

"I haven't had the pleasure." She said as she shook his hand before leading Kevin away.

"Also, I thought it was inner-circle only tonight?" Veronica whispered to him.

"Joaquin's my boyfriend, that makes him inner-circle." Kevin defended.

"Uh-huh, well, I just came from the most insane meeting with my dad's lawyer. Between his upcoming hearing and his potential involvement in Jason's murder, not to mention my mom's, I'm in a foul mood." Veronica told him.

"Guys, they're really coming this time. Everybody hide." Daniel called out as he looked out the window.

Everyone took a hiding spot as Veronica opened Fred's liquor cabinet.

"Ugh, I'm so over this." She stated.

Jughead and Betty entered the door.

"Surprise!" They all called out.

"This is why we left the double feature." Jughead told Betty with a laugh as Archie walked forward.

"Happy birthday, bro." He said, giving Jughead a tight hug.

"You really shouldn't have." Jughead whispered to him.

"Ugh, you reek. Are you drunk?" He continued to ask once he got a whiff of Archie.

Archie shook his head as he stepped back to Diana at the same time, she was nodding yes at the question.

"No."

"Maybe just a little bit." Archie and Diana said at the same time.

Veronica then started speaking Spanish.

"Thanks, Veronica. Thanks, everyone." He said as Diana and Daniel stepped forward.

"Happy birthday, Juggy-bean. We love you!" Diana happily said, hugging him as Daniel fist bumped him.

"Thanks, Jewel. Thanks, Dan." He said and Kevin stepped forward, his arms opened wide for a hug.

"Oh, it's Kevin!"

"Happy birthday, bud. This is my boyfriend, Joaquin." Kevin introduced the two.

"Hey, nice to meet you." Jughead said, shaking Joaquin's hand.

"Um, has anyone seen Betty?" He asked as he looked around and failed to see her.

Daniel dimmed the lights and Betty came out bringing a cake with lighted candles and singing Happy Birthday.

"That was haunting, Betty." Jughead stated as she handed the cake over and kissed his cheek.

"Blow out the candles and make a wish." Betty told him.

"I wish it were just the two of us right now." He whispered to her and blew out the candles.

"One blow!" Kevin exclaimed as everyone applauded.

Daniel sighed as he saw Veronica walk away and looked at Diana who motioned for him to follow her. He went over to where she was in the kitchen.

"Babe? Look, I know you're mad at me and you can go back to hating me tomorrow. But is it the stuff with your dad?" He asked her.

"It's just the tip of the iceberg. I don't want to talk about it." Ronnie answered him.

"Okay. You want a drink?" Daniel asked her.

"I thought you didn't want me drinking?" Ronnie asked him.

"Well, you look like you need it, right now. And I'll be here to make sure nothing bad happens to you." Danny stated and Ronnie's anger towards him melted a little.

 **(WITH ARCHIE AND DIANA)**

Archie sighed as he took another gulp of his plastic cup. Diana raised an eyebrow as she took the cup and smelled the alcohol inside.

"Okay, we are gonna talk about this, right now." She said as she pulled him to the side.

"Talk to me, Arch. Let me help you." She said as she stepped closer to him and rubbed his cheek affectionately.

"My dad's visiting my mom. They're about to finalize the divorce. My mom wanted to leave Riverdale, my dad wanted to stay. I had to choose, and I chose my dad." Archie told her.

"Do you regret choosing your dad?" Diana asked him.

"No, I don't. Never. If I hadn't, I would've never had these people here now as my friends, and I never would've had you." Archie told her as he placed his arms around her waist and hers around his shoulders.

They pressed their foreheads together and close their eyes. Diana tilted her head up to kiss his nose.

 **(WITH DANIEL AND RONNIE)**

"He threatened me, Danny. Said he would destroy mom if I didn't make a statement on his behalf. Said she was just as guilty as he was. And maybe he's lying or maybe he isn't. And maybe he killed Jason Blossom, and…" At this, Daniel pulled her into a tight hug.

"Oh, sorry." Jughead said as he looked at the both of them.

"Just coming to get ice cream, so is everything okay?" Betty asked them both.

"Yeah, no, I'm just not in a party mood like I usually am." Veronica said in a low voice.

"That makes two of us." Jughead said as he picked up some food.

"Whoa. Wait. You're not actually upset that I threw you a party, are you?" Betty asked him.

"It is nice, Betty. I appreciate it. It's just I would be happier if it was just the six of us in a booth at Pop's." Jughead told her.

"Yeah. But we always do that. I wanted to do something special." Betty explained to him.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Jughead quoted.

"Why is everything so doom and gloom with you, Jug? Why can't it just be normal for once?" Betty argued with him.

"I'm not normal. I'm not wired to be normal." Jughead whispered as Danny and Ronnie looked on.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"How many more people did you invite to this thing?" Jughead asked as Daniel and Veronica went to the front door to see Archie and Diana already standing there.

"No one. Inner-circle only." Betty defended as they followed the others.

The front door opened to reveal Cheryl with Chuck and a lot more people behind them.

"Did you really think you could have a party without inviting moi?" Cheryl asked.

"Or me?" Chuck added.

"Archie, where do you want the kegs?" Moose asked as he carried one.

Everyone looked at Archie as he made a decision.

"Screw it! One in the kitchen, one in the backyard." He stated and Diana shook her head in disappointment as everyone cheered.

After a while, the party was alive. Archie was dancing wildly with Diana and Cheryl was making out with a guy on the dance floor. Kevin, Joaquin, Ronnie and Daniel were talking.

"Why are they doing this?" Kevin asked.

"They're agents of chaos, Kevin. They don't need a reason." Daniel said.

"But if I had to guess? Payback." Ronnie continued as she watched Cheryl who was looking at Daniel.

 **(WITH JUGHEAD || GARAGE)**

Jughead was at the garage patting Vegas when Archie entered.

"Dude, the party's fun. What are you doing here, hiding?" Archie asked him.

"Archie, as my blood-brother, it was your sole responsibility to ensure that something like this never happened on my birthday. And now we're here. In the middle of a Seth Rogen movie." Jughead moodily told him.

"This was Betty's idea, okay? I just went along with it." Archie defended.

"It's so not me." Jughead complained.

"It doesn't matter, Jughead, you're her boyfriend now." Archie told him.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're getting your birthday party whether you want one or not." Archie replied when FP entered.

"Dad, hey." Jughead greeted.

"How are you, Mr. Jones?" Archie asked him.

"Happy to be here, celebrating with my son. Didn't realize you had so many friends." FP answered.

"I don't. And fair warning. You're the only adult here." Jughead reminded him.

"So I gathered. Where can I put this?" He replied.

"There's a table in the den." Archie told him.

"Dad. Did Betty call you?"

"Yeah, she came by too. She knows what she wants, that one. I'll be back." FP said as he walked towards the house.

 **(WITH VERONICA)**

She saw FP as he passed by and remembered seeing him with her mom before.

"What is a middle-aged Serpent doing at a high school kegger?" She asked Kevin who was walking towards her.

"Are you serious? You don't know? Veronica, that's Jughead's dad." Kevin explained as he pulled her along.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"And the plot thickens." Veronica said as she allowed Kevin to drag her.

 **(WITH BETTY AND JUGHEAD)**

"You do know my dad has a drinking problem, right?" Jughead asked as Betty came to the garage.

"Of course, I do. I didn't think people would be drinking tonight. I didn't plan on Chuck and Cheryl, and the rest of the school crashing, okay? This was supposed to be just your friends." She explained to him.

"You, Jewel, Daniel and Archie are my friends, okay? Everyone else, including Kevin, including Veronica, are people that, two months ago, I would've actively shunned." Jughead told her.

"Why?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm weird. I'm a weirdo. I don't fit in, and I don't want to fit in. Have you ever seen me without this stupid hat on? That's weird."

"Why are you getting so upset? It's just a party, Jug."

"It's not just a party. It's the fact that you don't know or even care that this is the last thing I would want. You did this for you. To prove something."

"To prove what?"

"You're a great girlfriend. I don't know. Doesn't it ever occur to you just how different we are? Like on a cellular DNA kind of level? You're a straight-A student, you're a cheerleader for God's sakes. You're the perfect girl next door."

"I hate that word."

"I'm the damaged loner outsider from the wrong side of the tracks. Betty, come on. Who are we kidding? We're on borrowed time."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Betty, I'm not one of your projects, okay? Like solving Jason's murder…"

"No. You're not a project, you're my boyfriend."

"Until you're sick of slumming it with me, or until Archie changes his mind and leaves Diana for you?" At that, Betty looked hurt and she turned to leave.

 **(WITH ARCHIE)**

He was walking around, looking for Diana when he bumped into Valerie.

"Valerie, hey…" He greeted but was shocked when she threw her drink at his face.

"You are a douchebag, Archie Andrews. You played with my emotions and made me believe that you felt something for me because of some stupid talent show. I don't wanna talk to you right now." She said as she walked away and everyone, aside from his friends, chuckled at an embarrassed Archie.

His head was spinning but he somehow found his way to his bedroom.

 **(WITH JUGHEAD)**

He was about to exit the house when Chuck and Cheryl blocked his way.

"Where are you going, guest of honor?" Chuck asked him.

"Get out of my way, Chuck." He retorted.

"Oh, but you can't leave now. We haven't even played our game yet. Listen up, party people. Everyone has their secrets. And we've all done our fair share of sinning. That's one thing my brother's death has revealed. So, let's play a little game to get those secrets out in the open." Cheryl stated as she locked the front door.

A few minutes later, everyone was gathered in what was supposed to be the living room.

"What the hell is Secrets and Sins?" Jughead asked.

"It's a variation on Truth and Dare. In which we own our truths. By telling it like it is. I'll start the game with Veronica Lodge. Let's begin with the day you and your mob wife of a mother came to town for a so-called "fresh start." Tell us, Veronica, what's so fresh about defiling Archie Andrews in a closet?" Cheryl asked her.

"That was you doing." Ronnie simply replied.

"Cheryl, don't do this. You know as well as I do that you aren't perfect either." Daniel interjected but was ignored.

"Moving on to dear Daddy Lodge. Isn't it true that your father, from prison, illegally purchased the drive-in land? Which makes me wonder. What else is he doing from behind bars?" Cheryl pushed.

"Well, I can't speak for my other, but I can think of someone with a very dirty secret. Specifically, Cheryl killing her very own brother." Ronnie retorted.

"Everyone knows how much I loved my brother." Cheryl defended.

"Exactly. But did you love him maybe in ways that a sister shouldn't love a brother? And as you got older, Jason started to think it was strange, unnatural. So, he chose Diana over you. So, you shot him between the eyes with one of your father's many hunting rifles." Ronnie guessed.

"This is riveting, I can't breathe." Kevin told Joaquin.

"This game is sick. I wanna go next." Dilton Doiley spoke up.

"That's the spirit, Doiley. What secrets do you have to reveal to us?" Chuck asked him.

"I saw Ms. Grundy's car by Sweetwater River, the day Jason went missing. I told Betty and Jughead, and then, Ms. Grundy quit her job and left Riverdale, like, two days later. And let's not forget that Archie was also at the Sweetwater that morning." Doiley pointed out.

"Oh, my God, color me shocked, Archie Andrews. Is that why you became a mediocre musician overnight? Because you and Ms. Four-eyes were pulling a Mary Kay Letourneau?" Cheryl asked him.

"Cheryl, stop." Diana said as Veronica addressed Archie.

"Don't say anything, Archie. Don't get in the gutter with them."

"Wait, what? Andrews was banging a teacher? Well damn, I wish I would have known. I would've added you and Ms. Grundy to the board of conquests. And of course, your current conquest now, minus points because Jason had her first, though." Chuck pointed, referring to Diana and she had to hold Archie back from attacking Chuck.

"Classy, Chuck, as always." Veronica sarcastically replied.

"Wait a second, that also explains why Archie seems to keep chasing Diana to be his girl. He's got serious Mommy issues." Chuck continued.

"Anything to say for yourself, Arch? Were you a victim or perpetrator?" Cheryl asked him.

It wasn't until Chuck started talking about Betty and what happened at Ethel's house when Jughead finally lost control and attacked him. Luckily, FP was there to throw Chuck out and declare the party over. He stopped Jughead as he walked passed though.

"Whoa, where the hell are you going?" He asked Jughead.

"What, you want to give me some advice on my right hook?" Jughead angrily said.

"I want you to go back inside and talk to your girl." FP told him.

"I don't think it's gonna work out. Irreconcilable differences."

"Don't run away from it. Don't run away. You've got something good here. With her, with your friends. Something that… Something that we could never give you. Also, man up. After what I just saw in there, she needs you." FP advised and Jughead walked back inside the house.

\- TIMESKIP (POP'S CHOCK'LIT SHOP) -

Betty and Jughead were seated in a booth and talking.

"And all this time, I thought you were a lover, not a fighter." Betty told him.

"I'm both. I've got layers. You were doing something nice, it's just that sometimes, when people do nice things for me, I short circuit. Maybe I'm not used to it. Maybe I'm scared of getting hurt. Or being rejected for being myself."

"I should have told you about Chuck. But I lied. And instead I threw this party that you didn't even want."

"Why did you?"

"Something is very, very wrong with me. Like there's this darkness in me that's overwhelming sometimes, and I don't know where it comes from. But I think that's what makes me do these crazy things. Like…" Betty trailed off as she showed him her palms where nail marks were from her clenching her fists too hard.

Jughead sighed as he took them in his hands and kissed them before Betty kissed him.

 **(WITH VERONICA AND DANIEL)**

Veronica was seated on the counter of Archie's kitchen when Daniel approached her.

"Come on, Ronnie. I still have like an hour before it's the next day and you go back to hating me. I'll drive you home." He told her as he lifted her up into his arms and placed her in his car.

When he got inside the driver's seat, Ronnie grabbed his arm.

"I don't wanna go home today. I wanna go with you." She told him.

"Babe, Ronnie, you've had some drinks and you're not thinking clearly. Go to sleep, I've got you." Daniel told her as he got ready to drive away but Ronnie crossed over the center console and straddled his lap.

"I don't hate you. And I'm not mad anymore. Even when I haven't spoken to you in a few days, you're still there to listen to me, to keep me safe and to protect me. I love you, Daniel John Kennedy." Ronnie said as she leaned in and they made out in his car.

 **(WITH ARCHIE AND DIANA)**

Archie was seated in the couch when Diana sat beside him with her feet folded under her.

"How am I ever gonna look anyone in the eye ever again?" Archie asked her, referring to the Grundy incident.

"By Monday, this will all be but a dream. Trust me. No one will remember anything. And if they do, Arch then you should let them know that you ended it in its early stages. So that people know that those kinds of relationship aren't good." Diana advised him.

"I drunk-dialed my dad, Di." Archie admitted with a sigh.

"Baby. What did you say?"

"I told him not to sign the divorce papers. I don't even know why, it's not like I even want them to get back together. Why do I keep wrecking things? Do you ever wonder what if you had done things differently, what if you had made different choices?"

"Welcome to my life."

"Every day I wonder, what if I had left Riverdale with my mom? Would things be better off? Would I be better off?"

"I can't answer that, Arch, but we wouldn't have met, and I don't think I'd be here right now if it weren't for you."

"I'm messed up, Diana…"

"We all are, Archie. And honestly, you less than most." She told him and he leaned forward to kiss her.

She kissed him back and sat in his lap as things got heated.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT MORNING || ANDREWS RESIDENCE) -

Diana woke up in Archie's warm embrace. She sighed happily as she sat up and slowly crept out of bed, trying not to wake Archie up. She looked at his peaceful face and kissed his forehead before heading downstairs. She stopped when she saw Jughead holding a cup of coffee, sitting in the living room.

"Jewel. Hey, good morning." He greeted her.

"Morning, Juggy." She said with a grin.

"So, listen…" Diana trailed off but Jughead cut her off.

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed." Jughead said.

"Okay. Cool. And get your mind out of the gutter. Nothing happened!" Diana said with a laugh as she stepped outside the house.

 **(WITH VERONICA AND DANIEL)**

Veronica woke up to the smell of coffee and pancakes. She opened her eyes to see Daniel sitting there with a tray of food.

"Hey, you're up." Daniel tentatively greeted as he wasn't sure if she remembered what happened last night.

"I made you breakfast. And I mean it, I was the one who cooked for you." He said as he set the tray down in front of her and the cup of coffee on the bedside table.

She still didn't say anything so he assumed she was still mad and turned to leave when she grabbed his arm and kissed him on the lips.

"I've never had a guy wake up early just to cook me breakfast before. This is amazing. Thank you." Ronnie told him when she pulled away.

Daniel just shyly grinned at her and didn't say anything more.

"Babe, I meant what I said last night. I love you." She said as she looked at Daniel who was already watching her.

He grinned big as he took her left hand and retrieved something from the bedside drawer.

"I love you, Veronica." He admitted as he clasped the charm bracelet around her wrist.

Veronica gasped as she looked at it.

"Is this?" She asked and Daniel nodded.

"The exact same one. Diana picked it up and gave it to me. I had the clasp repaired. And I bought an extra charm." He said and Veronica noticed a heart-shaped charm with ILY engraved in the middle.

She smiled and the both of them spent that time, talking and feeding each other pancakes.

 **(WITH ARCHIE AND JUGHEAD)**

Archie was cleaning the house and Jughead was eating his cake in the kitchen.

"Long night's journey into day?" Jughead asked him.

Archie's phone rang and he pressed decline.

"I can't face the music right now."

"Yeah, I understand. So, you and Diana… getting pretty serious, huh?" Jughead teased.

"Yeah…" Archie said, embarrassed.

"Don't worry. I'm never telling anyone anything literally ever." Jughead swore.

"Okay, good. Thanks. That's great." Archie replied as he continued cleaning.

* * *

 _Whether you believe in order or chaos, in the end, it's the same… We are either in control of our lives, or merely think we are._


	21. Episode 11 - Riverdale Homecoming

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

 _People like to say that the death of Jason Blossom changed everything at Riverdale High. But certain things, certain traditions never change._

 _Take Homecoming, for instance. Though Jason's jersey had been retired, the Riverdale Bulldogs would still be playing their arch-rivals, the Baxter High Ravens, with the River Vixens cheering them on._

 _As in previous years, graduates from days of Riverdale Past will come to town to relive their more youthful, more carefree days. Or to make up for lost time._

\- (RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Diana was walking with Daniel along the school's busy hallways when Archie caught up with them.

"Di, wait up. Hey, I just wanted to explain why I didn't call after the party. My mom showed up out of nowhere." He told her.

"Aunt Mary's back? That's great, Arch. How has she been doing?" Diana asked him.

"Wait, are we seriously not gonna talk about what happened between us?" Archie asked her, forgetting that Daniel was there.

"Wait, what?" Danny backtracked and Diana stopped walking and turned to him.

"Leave, Danny. I'll see you later." She said with a laugh as she kissed his cheek and continued walking, Archie following her.

When the crowd thinned in the hallways, she pulled him to the side.

"Arch, we had a moment. A beautiful moment that went farther than any of our moments before. And I'm sorry to say but, don't get used to it yet, Arch. As much as I adore you, I still have a lot of issues I need to work on. Issues regarding-" Diana explained and Archie cut her off.

"Regarding Jason, I know. I'm not trying to talk to you about it because I wanted to know when we'd be doing it again, I wanted to talk about it, because I wanted to be sure you didn't regret anything that we said or did." Archie told her.

"I don't. I promise you, I don't. Just be a little more patient with me, please. Until I find out who killed Jason, I don't think I'll ever have the closure I need. But you, Archibald Andrews, are an amazing boyfriend. And you make me so, so, happy." She said with a sweet smile as she stepped forward into his arms which wrapped around her waist and hers around his shoulders.

She rubbed their noses together before leaning up to kiss the tip of his nose.

"Let's prove that statement at the Homecoming Dance. And maybe finally sing that duet together?" He asked her as he kissed her forehead.

"Hmmm… Fine then. But you better not replace me this time around." Diana teased him.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Archie told her before he kissed her.

\- TIMESKIP (LUNCH PERIOD|| OUTSIDE TABLES) -

Ronnie, Daniel, Diana, Archie, Betty, Jughead and Kevin were all seated in a table outside when Cheryl approached the group.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I have an announcement to make. One that tangentially involves Polly." She said and everyone turned to look at her.

"I'm bringing Polly to the dance as my date, and Diana and I are campaigning as co-queens of Homecoming Court." Cheryl informed them.

"Say what, now?" Diana double checked, praying that her ears had just deceived her.

"Because why?" Betty asked Cheryl.

"Because, Nightmare Smurfette, Polly deserves the right to attend Homecoming as a student of the school, new or old. And by all rights, it should've been Diana and Jason on that stage being crowned. This is the next best thing. So… don't forget to vote, and I'll see everyone at my coronation!" Cheryl happily said as she walked off.

"Why me? I hate the attention. Veronica, you do it." Diana groaned as she leaned against Archie and they just laughed at her.

"Betty, about the Homecoming Dance, can I play a couple of songs? I kind of told my mom that… Whoa, you don't want me to?" Archie asked as he saw the expression on Betty's face.

"No, no it's not that, Archie, it's just, um… This dance needs to be fun. And your songs, as amazing as they are…" Betty trailed off.

"They make you wanna slit your wrists." Jughead continued for her.

"Woah! Too extreme. Maybe just tear up and eat ice cream or something." Daniel said.

"In a good way!" Jughead saved himself.

"In an amazing way." Diana defended Archie before she continued.

"But, no need to fret, Betty. 'Cause Archie asked me to sing with him, and we're thinking about doing some upbeat covers." Diana told Betty, cheerfully.

"We are?" Archie asked her, totally confused.

"Yes, we are." Diana said as she stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

"Well, count Daniel and I in, too. We're gonna rock that place come Homecoming." Ronnie volunteered.

"What?" Danny asked, just as confused as Archie was.

"I thought we talked about this?" Ronnie asked him.

"When?" Danny asked her and Ronnie pinched his side.

"I mean, yes, absolutely. I can't wait!" He backtracked and saved himself from his girlfriend's wrath.

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER LUNCH || EMPTY CLASSROOM) -

Not that I'm complaining, babe. Because I'd do anything for you. But why are we suddenly singing at the Homecoming Dance?" Daniel asked Ronnie as she dragged him inside the classroom.

"Because, I wanted people to hear your talent for singing. And, I have a favor to ask you." Ronnie told him.

"What is it?"

"Remember when you hear Clifford Blossom say he put my father in jail? Well, I think my dad may have gone after Jason as payback. He's very eye-for-an-eye, and I have a strong suspicion he hired Jughead's dad to do his dirty work. Also, FP's done my dad's bidding before. He trashed the drive-in."

"It's a big leap to go from vandalism to murder, babe."

"I talked it over with Mrs. Cooper. And…"

"She's part of this? Are you nuts?"

"She's gonna keep FP busy while we search his trailer to find anything that links FP to Jason. Or, more importantly, FP to my dad."

"We should just talk to Jughead."

"No, what if he's protecting FP or tries to warn him?"

"He's our friend, Ronnie. And I've known the guy since second grade even though I didn't get closer to him until the third."

"My dad is this close to being released, and my mom's in denial and she's ready to welcome him back with open arms. Me, I'd like to know exactly who we're inviting back into our lives."

"Look, babe, I really wanna help you, I do, and I definitely don't want Jughead to get hurt, but from what he's been telling me, FP's cleaned up his act. You can even ask Archie."

"I hope you're right about that, Danny, because if not, Jughead could get dragged into something very messy and very dangerous." Ronnie stated.

\- TIMESKIP (SCHOOL GYM) -

Betty was busy facilitating the decorating in the gym when Jughead walked in carrying a box of colored lights.

"Hey, you. Why didn't you tell me about the dinner?" He asked her.

"What?" Betty asked, lost.

"Your mom basically tackled me in the hall to invite my dad and I over before the dance. Did you not know?" Jughead told her.

"No, no, of course, I've just, you know, got so many… Plates are spinning…" Betty explained.

"I'm a little terrified about the social experiment of it all, but I think it's good for our families to get to know each other. I think it's important for us. You know?" Jughead stated with a shy smile.

"Yeah." Betty agreed.

\- TIMESKIP (THAT NIGHT || KENNEDY RESIDENCE) -

Jughead, Archie and Daniel were having a sleepover in Daniel's room at the Kennedy's house while Betty, Diana and Veronica were in Diana's room with Nate.

"So, the worm turns. Mary and Fred. A possible rekindling?" Jughead asked Archie.

"That would've been a Li'l Archie's pipe dream." Archie admitted.

"Stranger things have happened, man. Like for instance, my dad shaved. Which is the equivalent of tectonic plates shifting. I was thinking, maybe it's time I go back and live with him again." Jughead told the both of them.

"Based on the fact that he shaved?" Daniel asked him.

"Well, he also hasn't missed a day of work, and he quit drinking." Jughead replied.

"That's… That's great, Jughead. But maybe you should wait a little but longer just to make sure it sticks." Danny said.

"No, dude, I'm telling you, something has shifted. I mean, he even asked to read my work. The essays, the articles I wrote about Jason." Jughead recalled.

"Your dad did?" Danny asked him.

"Yeah. And he read them. Even more surprisingly, he engaged with them. He asked me questions about them." Jughead replied.

"What kind of questions?" Archie asked.

"Like who I thought who did it."

"Your dad asked you who you thought killed Jason Blossom?" Archie asked again.

"You guys repeating everything I'm saying is getting really annoying." Jughead told the both of them.

Daniel suddenly got out of bed and started getting dressed.

"I forgot to put something in the refrigerator and it might melt, so…" Danny trailed off and Jughead cut him off.

"You're a terrible liar, Daniel. Off to a late-night rendezvous with a certain raven-haired princess?" Jughead teased and Archie laughed when Daniel blushed.

"Relax, man. Jug's just giving you a hard time." Archie reassured him.

Not long after Daniel left, a knock on the door cut off Archie and Jughead's conversation. Diana and Betty's heads popped in.

"Hey. Ronnie made some lame excuse and ditched us so I thought you guys could use the company." Betty told them.

"Nate's sleeping in the nursey now. And I brought the baby monitor." Diana stated as she walked in and jumped on Archie's bed, landing on top of him and laughing as Archie caught her and kissed her on the nose and she scrunched her face.

Betty just shook her head as she positioned herself beside Jughead shyly. The four of them talked and minutes later, Veronica and Daniel walked in.

"How was it? Better have used protection, I don't think Nate's ready to have a cousin just yet." Diana teased her brother and friend as they both blushed.

"Shut up. Nothing like that happened, we just talked." Daniel told her and Diana stuck her tongue out at him.

The six friends joked and laughed through the night before finally falling asleep one by one.

\- TIMESKIP (DAY OF THE DANCE || THORNHILL MANSION) -

Polly was at Thornhill, getting ready to be Cheryl's date to the Homecoming Dance.

"Oh, Pollikins, it's much more fun being friends than mortal enemies. And I'm glad you decided to say yes to my proposal and show Chuck Clayton that you can live alright without him. This color totally pops on you." Cheryl said as she did Polly's make up.

"Okay, so I was thinking. The theme for the dance is Blast from the Past, right? So, I say, we go retro and borrow some of your mom's vintage bling for the night." Polly told her.

"Ooh, you're naughty, Polly." Cheryl said with a devious smile.

They went into Mr. and Mrs. Blossom's closet.

"My mom and dad would freak if they knew we were in here. So, let's take our sweet time." Cheryl spoke.

"How many wigs does your father have?"

"One for every mood. Legend has it that Clifford's hair turned white overnight. Supposedly, he saw the ghost of Grandpappy Blossom with his throat slit. Now me, I love a silver fox but we Blossoms live and die by our red curls. My father tried dying it once, but…" Suddenly, Cheryl stopped talking.

"But what? What is that? What did you find?" Polly asked her.

"My nana's ring…"

"Which she gave to Jason. I know because I saw him holding that once. He said he would ask Diana if she wanted to have it. So how does your mother have it?" Polly said as she tried to reach for the ring.

"Hands off, Golum." Cheryl warned her.

"The only way your mom could have that ring is if she or your dad got it from Jason, and he wouldn't have given it up. Not over his dead body." Polly ranted as she tried to grab it from Cheryl again but she gripped her wrist.

"Polly… You are carrying precious cargo, and I'm being nice to you because of Diana, but if you think for one second that those babies guarantee your safety, you're in for a rude awakening." Cheryl threatened as she let go of Polly's wrist and Polly walked out.

\- TIMESKIP (THAT NIGHT || THORNHILL) -

Polly was talking to Penelope.

"You wanted an explanation. The last time Clifford saw Jason was the day my son washed his hands of our family. Jason wanted nothing more to do with the Blossom name, nor our lineage. Including the ring, which he threw in Clifford's face as his final rebuke. Clifford then gave the ring to me for safekeeping." Penelope told her.

"I… I thought the ring had been lost…" Polly told her.

"Nothing's lost forever. Everything comes back." Penelope tearfully said as she sighed.

"Now. Unless you have any more questions, I'll leave you to finish getting ready for the dance. And drink up, dear. Before it melts." Penelope told Polly as she handed her a strawberry smoothie.

A few minutes after finishing the smoothie, she passed out.

"What did you give her?" Cheryl asked when she saw Polly passed out in bed.

"Polly was so agitated, I gave her an all-natural relaxer. Nothing to hurt the babies, but she will sleep like a lamb till morning. When she's scheduled to go back to Evergreen Manor." Penelope said as she tucked Polly in bed.

"Was that story true? About how you got the ring back?" Cheryl continued.

"Every word of it. You know your brother rejected us, our way of life, our business, everything. And after I had groomed him to take over the empire. When I really should have been nurturing you. Jason never had the stomach for any of it. But you… You're a Blossom, through and through." Clifford told her.

"One more thing before you go to the dance. Nana Blossom's ring… It's not in my jewelry box, it's not with Polly. Where is it?" Penelope asked her.

"It wasn't my fault, it was Polly's. She lunged at me, trying to get it. I didn't know what to do. I panicked. I thought it would be better for everyone if the ring were just gone. Down the drain. That way, if Polly ever said anything to anyone, there'd be no proof. Just her word against ours. Did I do something wrong?" Cheryl told them.

"No. It's quite right what you did." Clifford acknowledged and Cheryl nodded before she walked out of the room.

 **(WITH RONNIE AND DANIEL)**

They were searching FP's trailer for anything that could link him to Jason Blossom's murder or Hiram Lodge.

"Look, I checked everywhere. Twice. But there's nothing weird or dangerous-looking." Daniel told Ronnie.

"Same out here, just tumbleweeds and dust bunnies, that's it. We need to keep looking." Ronnie replied.

"Babe." Daniel said, approaching him.

"Somewhere, there's something that proves it." Ronnie stated.

"What? What are we even looking for, Veronica? A signed contract between Jughead's dad and yours? I doubt they're that stupid…" Daniel told her.

"We'll switch… I'll take the bedroom this time."

"You wanted to see if we would find anything incriminating, and we didn't."

"Then we'll look somewhere else. Outside or under the trailer."

"Babe, what do you want? Do you want your dad to be guilty?"

"I want to know, Danny. One way or the other, I need to be sure."

"We can keep looking forever, and never find anything."

"Then what about when he comes home?"

"I'm not sure. But I'll be right there, next to you, doing what I can to help. If you'll let me. And maybe I'm wrong, but not finding anything tonight feels like a win. A major win for the home team." Danny said pulling her close and Ronnie smiled.

"What?" Danny asked her with a chuckle.

"Just… Yea, though I walk through the Valley of Darkness, and Daniel Kennedy is there with a smile and a sports metaphor." She said as she pulled him closer and kissed him hard.

They started making out when Ronnie's phone vibrated with a message. They broke apart and she read the text.

"It's Mrs. Cooper. We need to go, right now. FP could be on his way home, let's go." Ronnie said as she dragged Danny out and they left the trailer.


	22. Episode 11 - FP Jones

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (HOMECOMING DANCE || HIGH SCHOOL GYM) -

 **(WITH DIANA AND ARCHIE)**

Diana sighed as she and Archie entered the venue hand in hand and she looked around, liking the decorations very much.

"Whenever Daniel and I would get invited to balls, everything, from people to decorations, was very extravagant but nothing beats the feeling of comfort from a high school dance." Diana told Archie.

"Well, I'm glad that attending those fancy dances and balls hasn't destroyed simple things like these for you." Archie told her with a grin.

 **(WITH BETTY AND JUGHEAD)**

"Betty, tonight after the dance, I'd like to talk to you about something. It has to do with my dad." Jughead told Betty as they walked side by side.

"Is everything okay?" She asked him.

"Yeah… Actually, things are great. Better than they have been in a while. I just kind of wanna figure something out together." Jughead informed her.

"Oh, God… Will you be okay alone here for a second?" Betty asked as she saw Cheryl alone.

"I think I should be fine."

"I'll be right back." Betty said as she kissed him before approaching Cheryl.

"Cheryl? Hey. Where's Polly?"

"She's fine. She sugar-crashed and cancelled at the last minute, leaving me high and dry, which is why I'm never doing anything nice for anyone ever again. Excuse me." Cheryl told Betty as she walked away.

\- A LITTLE WHILE LATER -

Kevin was just standing around and drinking punch when Betty approached him.

"Hey, Kev… Have you seen Daniel and Ronnie and Archie and Diana?" She asked him.

"Well, Archie and Diana are dancing smack dab in the middle of the dance floor and Daniel and Ronnie…" Kevin trailed off as he searched but Betty saw them enter the venue.

"Oh, never mind, I see Danny and Ronnie as well." She said before walking away and towards the pair but she stopped when she saw them talking to her mom.

"What the hell?" Betty asked herself, looking at the group.

She was so busy wondering what was going on that she didn't pay much attention to Mayor McCoy as she talked to Betty. She excused herself when she saw Daniel and Ronnie approach Jughead.

"Where were you guys?" Betty asked the pair as she reached them.

"We stopped… We stopped at Pop's." Danny told her.

"And what were you just talking to my mom about?" She asked, suspecting something was going on.

"Guys, hey, whatever you were talking about, can you table it? Daniel and Ronnie gotta get ready." Archie said as he and Diana walked towards them.

"Come on." Diana nudged them to go.

Mayor McCoy started speaking up on stage.

"Friends, students and alumni. I hope you brought your dancing shoes. Please join me in welcoming to the stage Riverdale High's very own Archie Andrews and Diana Kennedy!" She introduced and the two came up on stage.

 _(PLAY: KIDS IN AMERICA || RIVERDALE CAST)_

 _ **Archie:**_ _Looking out a dirty old window_

 _Down below the cars in the city go rushing by_

 _I sit here alone and I wonder why_

 _Friday night and everyone's moving_

 _I can feel the heat but it's soothing, heading down_

 _I search for the beat in this dirty town_

 _ **Diana**_

 _Downtown the young ones are going_

 _Downtown the young ones are growing_

 _ **Diana and Archie:**_

 _We're the kids in America (Whoa)_

 _We're the kids in America (Whoa)_

 _Everybody live for the music-go-round_

 _ **Diana:**_

 _Bright lights, the music gets faster_

 _Look, boy, don't check on your watch, not another glance_

 _ **Archie:**_

 _I'm not leaving now, honey, not a chance_

 _ **Diana:**_

 _Hot-shot, give me no problems_

 _Much later, baby, you'll be saying never mind_

 _ **Archie:**_

 _You know life is cruel, life is never kind_

 _ **Diana and Archie:**_

 _Kind hearts don't make a new story_

 _Kind hearts don't grab any glory_

 _We're the kids in America (Whoa)_

 _We're the kids in America (Whoa)_

 _Everybody live for the music-go-round_

 _La la la la-la la-a_

 _La la la la-la la (Sing)_

 _La la la la-la la-a_

 _La la la la-la la_

 _ **Diana and Archie:**_

 _Come closer, honey, that's better_

 _Got to get a brand-new experience, feeling right_

 _Oh, don't try to stop, baby, hold me tight_

 _Outside a new day is dawning_

 _Outside suburbia's sprawling everywhere_

 _I don't want to go, baby_

 _New York to east California_

 _There's a new wave coming, I warn ya_

 _We're the kids in America (Whoa)_

 _We're the kids in America_

 _Everybody lives for the music-go-round_

 _La la la la-la la-a_

 _La la la la-la la (Sing)_

 _La la la la-la la-a_

 _La la la la-la la_

 _La la la la-la la-a_

 _La la la la-la la (Sing)_

 _La la la la-la la-a_

The whole performance, Archie and Diana were very playful. After they finished, everyone cheered. Mayor McCoy then went back onstage.

"Our next performers are gonna tone it down a little. So, everyone grab a partner to dance with. Let's welcome Daniel Kennedy and Veronica Lodge." She said and the pair went up on stage waiting for the music to start.

 _(PLAY: CALIFORNIA KING BED || RIHANNA)_

 _ **Veronica:**_

 _Chest to chest_

 _Nose to nose_

 _Palm to palm_

 _We were always just that close_

 _Wrist to wrist_

 _Toe to toe_

 _Lips that felt just like the inside of a rose_

 _So, how come when I reach out my finger_

 _It feels like more than distance between us_

 _In this California king bed_

 _We're ten thousand miles apart_

 _I've been California wishing on these stars_

 _For your heart for me_

 _My California king_

 _ **Daniel:**_

 _Eye to eye_

 _Cheek to cheek_

 _Side by side_

 _You were sleeping next to me_

 _Arm in arm_

 _Dusk to dawn_

 _With the curtains drawn_

 _And a little last night on these sheets_

 _So, how come when I reach out my fingers_

 _ **Daniel and Veronica:**_

 _It seems like more than distance between us_

 _In this California king bed_

 _We're ten thousand miles apart_

 _I've been California wishing on these stars_

 _For your heart for me_

 _My California king_

 _ **Daniel:**_

 _Just when I felt like giving up on us_

 _You turned around and gave me one last touch_

 _ **Veronica:**_

 _That made everything feel better_

 _And even then my eyes got wetter_

 _So confused wanna ask you if you love me_

 _ **Daniel:**_

 _But I don't wanna seem so weak_

 _ **Daniel and Veronica:**_

 _Maybe I've been California dreaming_

 _Yeah yeah yeah_

 _In this California king bed_

 _We're ten thousand miles apart_

 _I've been California wishing on these stars_

 _For your heart for me_

 _ **Veronica:**_

 _My California king_

 _ **Daniel:**_

 _My California king_

 _ **Veronica:**_

 _In this California king bed_

 _ **Daniel:**_

 _We're ten thousand miles apart_

 _ **Veronica:**_

 _I've been California wishing on these stars_

 _ **Daniel and Veronica:**_

 _For your heart for me_

 _My California king_

The pair was very sweet on stage and in the middle of the song, Cheryl left, unable to look at Daniel and Veronica together.

 _ **After the performances**_

Fred and Mary Andrews were dancing together. Talking about Archie.

"So, Archie and Diana are…" Mary asked him and Fred cut him off.

"We haven't exactly had the conversation, but the Magic 8-Ball says, "Yes."" He answered.

"You Andrews men are such players." Mary teasingly told him.

 **(MEANWHILE WITH KEVIN AND JOAQUIN)**

They were slow dancing together, swaying side by side contentedly.

"This is the first time I've brought a boyfriend to one of these things. This is the first time I've really had a boyfriend. Mostly, it's been hook-ups with closeted guys." Kevin admitted to Joaquin.

Jughead approached the pair.

"Hey, guys, sorry to interrupt. Have you seen Betty anywhere?" He asked them.

"You all need tracking devices. I think she was headed out to the hall with Veronica and maybe Daniel." Kevin pointed out.

"Thanks." Jughead said as he walked away and approached Diana and Daniel and tapped them, signaling for them to follow him.

Meanwhile Kevin continued dancing with Joaquin until he saw his dad talking with Mayor McCoy. He went over to him.

 **(WITH BETTY, RONNIE AND DANIEL)**

Betty, Daniel and Ronnie were talking in the hallways.

"Before you get mad, let me explain." Ronnie told Betty.

"Explain what? That you're working with my mom behind my back?" Betty angrily said.

"I'm sorry, Bee, but you know FP had some kind of arrangement with my dad. I had to make sure it wasn't about Jason Blossom." Ronnie told her.

"And what's your excuse?" Betty asked Daniel.

"I was looking out for Jughead in case FP was doing shady stuff. And I'd never allow Veronica to go do it alone. I was trying to protect both of them." Daniel replied.

"Blame me, Betty. I asked Danny to help me." Ronnie told her.

"Help you do what? What did you two do?" Betty asked.

At that moment, Jughead, Diana and Archie rounded the hall.

"Guys… Betty… What's going on?" He asked.

"Why do we feel we've been suddenly left out?" Archie laughed awkwardly as he looked at his other three friends.

"Guys?" Diana tried to get them to talk.

"Do you wanna tell them, or should I?" Betty asked Ronnie and Daniel.

"Tell us what?" Jughead demanded and Daniel stepped forward to face Jughead who had Archie and Diana behind him.

"We went to your dad's trailer to…" Daniel started saying.

"To search it, Jughead." Veronica continued.

"Why would you guys do that?" Diana asked.

"My mom put them up to it. She was convinced he was hiding something about Jason." Betty supplied.

"We were wrong. All of us. We didn't find anything." Ronnie told him.

"And Jug, we were only doing it to prove that…" Daniel tried to say when Jughead interrupted.

"That my dad wasn't a murderer? You went behind my back, Daniel?"

"Jug…" Daniel trailed off.

"How did you… When did you guys know to go to my dad's trailer?" Jughead asked the both of them.

"We knew he'd be at dinner with…" Ronnie trailed off and Jughead sighed in disappointment and Diana tried to comfort him.

"No…" Betty stated as she walked towards Jughead.

"That's why your mom invited my dad and I to dinner? So, these two could break into my dad's trailer while she interrogated him?" Jughead accused her.

"Juggy, calm down." Archie told him.

"No, I didn't know what they were doing. But yes, that is why she invited you guys." Betty admitted.

"To think I was gonna pass on moving to Toledo with my family for you." Jughead said with contempt.

"What?" Betty asked him.

"When we went to my dad's trailer, you asked me if I believed him. I said I did. Wasn't that good enough for you?" Jughead asked Betty.

"It was. It was good enough. I didn't… I tried to stop her." Betty defended.

"You could've told me, you could've warned me about this." Jughead stated.

"You were so excited, Jug, I didn't want to disappoint you." Betty tried to calm him down.

"So instead you lied? You all lied to me?" He asked, also looking behind Betty, at Ronnie and Daniel.

"There they are." Kevin said as he walked over to where the group was.

"Betty, Thank God…" Alice Cooper trailed off as she saw her daughter.

"Mom, don't…" Betty warned.

"No, you have to listen. All of you." Alice told them.

"My dad just told Mayor McCoy about your dad, Jughead." Kevin informed them.

"What about my dad?" Jughead asked in a low voice.

"He was just arrested. For the murder of Jason Blossom." Fred broke the news and Jughead ran off, leaving his friends worried and confused.

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER THE DANCE) -

 **(WITH BETTY || COOPER RESIDENCE)**

Betty was talking to her mom about what happened.

"Kevin said someone tipped off his dad, was it you?" She asked her.

"I was at the dance, Betty…" Alice said but Betty cut her off.

"Answer the damn question, Mom. And don't lie. Was it you?" She asked again.

"It was not. But I'm glad you're safe. As much as I like Jughead, I am so glad that you are done with that family." Alice stated.

"Done? I love Jughead. He's as much my family as you are, more so right now." Betty said as she tried to go out and start searching for Jughead.

"You are not going anywhere, young lady." Alice stopped her.

"I am going to look for Jughead. Do not push me tonight, Mom, because I will push back." She stated before walking out the room.

 **(WITH VERONICA AND DANIEL || THE PEMBROOKE)**

Veronica and Daniel were sitting with Hermione as she talked about FP's arrest.

"If FP confesses, he might drag us into this. Talk about our dealings with the Serpents." Hemione stated and Daniel rubbed Ronnie's shoulders as she froze.

"But at least we'll know if Dad hired him to… And if he did? And you can't pretend otherwise?" Ronnie asked her mom.

"We'll cut all ties with him. He'll be dead to us." Hermione answered.

"We may not be able to walk away so easily." Ronnie worriedly said.

"I'd do anything to protect you, Ronnie. Even you, Mrs. Lodge." Daniel told the Lodge women who looked problematic as they both held hands.

 **(WITH ARCHIE AND DIANA || ANDREWS RESIDENCE)**

Archie and Diana were seated at the kitchen counter with Mary.

"FP has always had his demons." Mary told both teens.

"I really thought he'd changed, Mom…" Archie said as he placed an arm around Diana and rubbed her arm comfortingly.

"It's very hard for people to change, Archie." Mary told her son.

"I personally don't believe he did it. I mean…" Diana sighed, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"You know, after I heard you guys play, and before everything happened, I was going to ask you to come to Chicago with me, Archie. To stay. You could study music." Mary offered.

"I'm not even thinking about that right now, Mom." Archie told her.

"No, I know, I know. It's just, I want you with me. I don't think that this town is safe anymore. I feel like Riverdale is getting ready to slide off a mountainside, and I don't want you anywhere around when that happens. Just promise me you'll at least think about it." Mary told his son.

"Yeah, I will." Archie told her as he looked down at Diana who had remained quiet.

 **(WITH CHERYL || THORNHILL MANSION)**

Cheryl was looking outside the open door of her parents' room.

"That bastard killed my baby. He killed my Jason. I want him dead for what he did." Penelope cried, hugging her husband.

"You have my word, darling. You have my word." Clifford answered and Cheryl looked down at her hand that was holding Nana's antique ring and walking away from her parents' door.

\- TIMESKIP (POP'S CHOCK'LIT SHOP) -

Betty entered Pop's Shop and approached Pop who was in front of the counter.

"Pop… Jughead hasn't been by, has he?" Betty asked him.

"Nope. You're not the only one who's come looking for him." Pop said as he gestured to a table.

Betty looked back and saw Ronnie and Daniel seated at a table.

"Betty… Thank goodness." Ronnie said as she stood and walked to Betty with Daniel behind her.

"We were gonna call you." Daniel added.

"I'm not talking to you, either of you, ever again." Betty told them.

The bell rang and Archie and Diana came in.

"We got your text. What is this about?" Archie asked the group.

"It's about Jughead. Kevin called me. And he said his dad found a gun, the gun that killed Jason, in a lockbox in FP's closet." Veronica explained.

"But guys, we searched FP's trailer. We looked through that closet. And there was no lockbox. Someone put it there after we left. He's being framed." Daniel stated.


	23. Episode 12 - Pieces of a Puzzle

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

\- (POP'S CHOCK'LIT SHOP) -

"Someone planted the gun… Jason's murder weapon, in a closet in FP's trailer. It wasn't there when we searched for it. He's being framed, guys." Daniel told Betty, Archie and Diana.

"Well, maybe you didn't see it." Betty told them.

"We're not talking about the Vogue closet here, Bee." Ronnie defended.

"Well, maybe you looked in the wrong one." Betty retorted.

"It's a trailer with literally one closet. There was no lockbox. No gun. Whatever Sheriff Keller is saying he found, it wasn't there." Ronnie stated.

"Look, if that's true, then we need to tell Jughead his dad's innocent. Where is Jughead?" Archie asked everyone.

"I don't know. I tried calling him. I left him messages. He's not answering his phone." Betty sadly said.

"In the meantime…." Ronnie started.

"Should we talk to Sheriff Keller?" Betty asked.

"No. Not until we tell our parents." Archie stated.

"That Ronnie and I broke into FP's trailer?" Daniel asked him to clarify.

"My dad will know what to do." Archie said.

Everyone nodded their agreement except for Diana. She stood back and sat down on a booth.

"Di, are you okay? Aren't you coming with us?" Ronnie asked her.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll just stay here for a while." Diana quietly said.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Archie asked her.

"No. You need to help them explain things. I'll text you guys later." She replied as she smiled.

Everyone worriedly looked at her but nodded nonetheless before taking their leave. Diana just sat there and thought long and hard about why FP would be the one who killed Jason. Some things just didn't add up for her. She didn't know how long she was there for when the bell rang and no other than Jughead walked in.

"Juggy." Diana trailed off as she stood up and hugged her friend.

"Where have you been? Everyone was worried." She asked the still silent boy as they sat in the booth Diana was occupying and Pop poured them both coffees.

"I went to the bus station. I was gonna go and visit my mom and Jellybean in Toledo for a while. But…" He trailed off as tears began to gather in his eyes and Diana just rubbed his back comfortingly.

"I just got the ticket to the next bus out of town. It leaves tomorrow morning at 6. But, I couldn't stay at the bus station because they close. I decided to come here." He continued saying.

"I'm so sorry, Juggy." It was all Diana could tell him.

They didn't say anything else as they just sat there in silence. Soon after, Diana fell asleep with her head on Jughead's shoulder. She was awoken by someone shaking her gently. She opened her eyes blearily.

"Hey, babe. Are you okay? Do you want to go home?" It was Archie, who had come with Betty, Daniel and Ronnie.

Diana shook her head no, she was fine. Archie lifted her up and transferred her to the seat across Jughead and beside him. Betty sat on the area she just vacate.

"Jug, we're so sorry. About everything." Betty apologized to Jughead.

"Juggy, we screwed up. Most of us did." Danny stated, looking at Ronnie who nodded.

"Breaking into your dad's trailer was wrong, but at least some good came out of it." Daniel continued.

"Pretty sure my dad was just arrested for murder." Jughead told them.

"That gun wasn't there when we searched his trailer. Someone put it there after we left." Ronnie said and that caught Jughead's attention. He looked to Betty who nodded.

"What are you talking about?" He asked them.

 **(WITH SHERIFF KELLER AND FP JONES || POLICE STATION)**

Sheriff Keller was currently talking to FP.

"The gun we found in your trailer matched the bullet that killed Jason Blossom. So, did you know him well, or did you just do it for kicks?" Sheriff asked him.

"Last summer, a redhead kid comes up to me at the bar, the Whyte Wyrm. Said he was planning to run away and meet up with his girlfriend while helping his ex-girlfriend get out of town." FP started.

"Diana Kennedy and Polly Cooper." Sheriff Keller supplied.

"So I would learn. He asked me to set him up with a getaway car and some cash. We made a deal. In exchange for some wheels, and a tidy sum, he would make a delivery for me." FP continued.

"Drugs?" Sheriff clarified and FP agreed.

"I got him a station wagon, stashed some weed in the back. Then… I put two and two together. Realized he was Cliff Blossom's son. I thought… Kid like that has everything. Why in the hell does he need a guy like me? Then he told me his plan. On July 4th, his sister was going to row him across Sweetwater River, tip the boat, and say he drowned. Once he made it across the river, I grabbed him before he reached his getaway car, which he's stashed I don't know where. And then, I took him up to the Wyrm… Held him in the basement. I kept him tied up and worked out my plan." FP summarized.

"Which was?" Sheriff Keller prodded.

"Get word to Cliff Blossom that his son was alive, and being held for ransom. Set up a drop-off point for payment to get him back. Before I sent work to Blossom, the kid got loose. Tried to escape."

"And that's when you shot him, and stuffed him in the freezer." Sheriff Keller surmised.

"Once things quieted down, and your guys were done dragging Sweetwater River for his body, that's when I dumped it."

"The only place we'd already looked. You break into my house and steal my files?"

"Yeah, I did. I even followed my son and Betty Cooper to Jason's getaway car, and torched it."

"You must've thought you're real smart. Now, I wanna hear you say it. Did you kill Jason Blossom?" Sheriff Keller asked him.

 **(THE SAD BREAKFAST CLUB || OUTSIDE THE INTERROGATION ROOM)**

The gang rushed inside and approached the front reception area.

"Excuse me, sir. We need to see Sheriff Keller." Daniel told the guy.

"There's been a huge mistake." Betty added.

All of them turned to see Sheriff Keller walking towards them.

"Sheriff, we need to talk to you about FP Jones." Ronnie told him.

"What about him?" Sheriff asked.

"He's innocent." Archie replied.

"He's being framed." Ronnie strongly said.

"Then why did he just confess?" Sheriff asked and Diana could only stare as 2 policemen brought FP out of the interrogation room and to the cells.

She slowly backed away and shook her head in denial before running out of the Police Station with Archie behind her.

\- TIMESKIP (LUNCH PERIOD NEXT DAY || RIVERDALE CAFETERIA) -

Betty, Daniel, Veronica and Archie were seated in a table and eating their lunch. Betty was reading the newspaper.

"The police report said FP worked alone." Betty mentioned to everyone.

"No mention of your dad, babe. That's good news, right?" Daniel asked Veronica.

"I can't stop thinking that… Maybe my dad hired another Serpent to plant that gun." Ronnie admitted and Danny held her hand under the table for comfort.

"It's surreal, isn't it? How's Jughead doing? And where's Diana?" Kevin asked as he joined the group's table.

"Not good." Betty answered.

"He's not coming in today. He's at the station." Archie informed.

"Being grilled by your dad." Ronnie pointed out to Kevin.

"Who's just doing his job. I mean, of course he's gonna ask Jughead questions." Kevin defended.

"Okay, well, he's wasting his time, Kev. Because FP didn't kill Jason." Betty strongly stated.

"Betty, he confessed," Kevin argued.

"Or he was coerced. Or he's protecting someone, maybe a Serpent. My mom saw him and Joaquin together…." Betty started and Kevin cut her off.

"Don't! Do not drag my boyfriend into this." Kevin told her.

The sudden banging of the cafeteria doors and the silence of the student body caught their attention. They all looked and saw Diana, wearing all black and looking like she hadn't had a good night's sleep. They watched as Cheryl got up from her table and placed her arms in Diana's shoulders, saying a few words before Diana nodded and they hugged. Cheryl then led her over to her table.

"Oh, no." Daniel suddenly said as he looked towards the direction of the door.

"What?" Betty asked before turning towards the door again where she saw Jughead walk in.

"What happened to him not coming in today?" Ronnie asked as they watched Jughead approach Diana and Cheryl's table.

Everyone stopped and stared again.

"I'm sorry, Cheryl. I'm sorry, Jewel." Jughead said.

It was silent for a moment and everyone watched as tears fell down Diana's eyes and Cheryl stood up, looking at Jughead before proceeding to slap him and hit him. Diana got up and held Cheryl back.

"Enough!" She told her and led her away from the cafeteria as Principal Weatherbee entered.

"Mr. Jones, you need to come with me. Right now." Principal Weatherbee stated.

"He was apologizing. He didn't do anything wrong!" Archie defended but Principal Weatherbee paid him no mind.

 **(WITH CHERYL AND DIANA)**

Diana led Cheryl to the girl's locker room.

"Cher, calm down, please." Diana pleaded and Cheryl stopped in front of the sink, trying to calm down.

"It's not his fault, Cher. You know that. Even if his dad did do it… You know more than anyone else that the actions of the parents do not reflect the actions of the child." Diana told her.

"I know. And I'm sorry. It's just that… Everybody keeps coming up to me, and hugging me, telling me that I must be so relieved that my brother's killer has finally been caught. That this nightmare is over." Cheryl told her.

"Then why doesn't it feel that way, right?" Diana asked her and Cheryl turned to look at her.

"I have this feeling in my gut, Cher. It's like Jason's telling me there's something else missing. That FP wasn't the one who killed him." Diana admitted to Cheryl and all the redhead could to was hug her sister figure who was going through the same thing she was.

\- TIMESKIP (PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE) -

Betty was waiting for Jughead to exit the Principal's office. Once he did, she immediately stood up to talk to him.

"What happened in there?" She asked him.

"My second interrogation of the day. Don't know who's more of a dick, Keller or Weatherbee." Jughead answered.

"Don't listen to them. Everyone else is wrong. Your dad's innocent, and we just need to prove it, Jug." Betty assured him.

"Who killed him, then, Betty? Tell me. If it wasn't my dad, who killed Jason Blossom? He said he did it, and you know what? I've been waiting my whole life for that man to do the right thing, and I'm done. You should be, too." Jughead told her.

"Jug." Betty tried to say as Jughead walked away from her.

\- TIMESKIP (THAT NIGHT || EVERGREEN MANOR) -

Diana sighed as she placed down the phone, just ending her call with Betty. She went downstairs and into the room Polly was staying at. She knocked on the door.

"Pol, you up?" She asked and she heard a "yeah" from the other side.

"Can I come in?" She asked again and after confirmation from Polly, she opened the door to see Polly sat up in bed.

"Betty just called. She and your parents are coming over, ASAP. She said they had something they wanted to tell you." Diana informed her as she sat on the edge of Polly's bed.

"I never did ask you how you were holding up with FP confessing to Jason's murder and all. How are you feeling?" She continued, looking at Polly and waiting for her to answer.

"It's surprising. Even though his past affiliations might be less than satisfactory, he doesn't strike me as the guy who's able to commit murder." Polly told her and Diana nodded in agreement.

"How are the twins?" Diana asked on a lighter note, looking at Polly's stomach.

"As active as ever. Did you know that Chuck has tried to get in touch with me?" Polly told her.

"Why? What does he want?" Diana wondered.

"I never told you guys the truth, Di. I didn't tell Chuck about the baby. When I found out, I never went to tell him because after what he did to me, there was no way that I was allowing him to come near me or my child ever again. That's why I told Jason. I knew he was still in love with you and that you guys have been talking long distance again but I was hoping that he'd felt something for me during the time we were together and agree to raise my baby with me. I'm sorry, Diana." Polly apologized, looking down.

Diana grabbed both her hands and squeezed it.

"Don't be. Jason, he's an amazing guy, once you get past all the layers and see the real him. He's not hard to love. I don't blame you for loving him, Polly. I never will. As I always say, you can't help who you fall for. Just look at me and Archie. I didn't plan on moving on from Jason, ever. But Archie, he has a way of breaking down people's walls and worming himself into their lives even when they don't want him to. And I know Jason understands, I believe he'd want me to be happy. He'd want you to be happy, too. And I hope that one day, you find a man who makes your heart beat faster like I'm sure it did with Jason." Diana told her reassuringly.

Soon, the Coopers arrived at Evergreen and were escorted to the living room. A knock-on Polly's door interrupted both girls.

"Miss Kennedy, the Coopers are at the receiving area." The maid informed and Diana nodded at her.

"Thank you, Cas. We'll be outside shortly. Please serve our guests some coffee or tea." Diana told her with a smile and the maid nodded before leaving.

"Come on, Pols. Let's go see your family." Diana said as she stood up from the bed and helped Polly up before heading towards the receiving area/living room.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper. Good evening, Betty." Diana politely greeted the guests.

"Good Evening, Diana. How are you holding up amidst all of this?" Alice Cooper asked her.

"I've been doing okay, Mrs. Cooper. But what I really want to know is what made you guys come all the way here this time of the night? Not that I mind, you guys are always welcome." Diana answered.

"Well, my parents wanted to tell Polly something." Betty told Diana and she nodded before standing up.

"You guys can go ahead and talk then. Pols, just buzz if you need anything." Diana said as she left the family in the living room and walked to the nursery where the nanny was preparing for Nate's next feeding.

She relieved the nanny from her duties as she picked her son up and cuddled him close to her, sitting on the rocking chair.

"We'll visit Daddy soon, okay baby boy?" She asked her sleeping son as she looked out the window, lost in her thoughts.


	24. Episode 12 - The Truth Comes Out

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (NEXT DAY || THE PEMBROOKE) -

Jughead went to visit his dad earlier and told the others that his dad really was lying. Daniel and Veronica were talking at The Pembrooke.

"He called Joaquin? Why not Jughead? Or Archie's dad? Or a lawyer?" Ronnie asked Daniel.

"It's weird." Daniel agreed.

"What does Betty think?" Ronnie asked.

"Well, she also thinks it's weird." Daniel answered.

"Joaquin might know if FP was hired to kill Jason, if it was my father… I need to see this through to the end." Ronnie stated.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER || ANDREWS GARAGE) -

Daniel, Diana, Archie, Ronnie and Kevin were there, interrogating Joaquin.

"We know FP used his call from jail to get in touch with you. What did he say?" Archie asked him.

"It was basically just a warning. Said to lay low." Joaquin answered them.

"No one uses their one call to say "lay low."" Ronnie argued.

"Joaquin, do you know something? I'm not talking to you as your boyfriend, I'm talking to you as the Sheriff's son." Kevin pleaded.

"Did FP kill Jason?" Diana's voice was heard and there was silence before Joaquin spoke up.

"Yeah. I mean… I assume."

"Oh, my God." Kevin exclaimed.

"Did you see him pull the trigger?" Ronnie asked.

"No, no. God, no." Joaquin answered.

"Then why do you think he did it?" Daniel asked him.

"On July 11th, I got a phone call in the middle of the night from FP. Said he needed help with some clean-up job at the Whyte Wyrm." Joaquin started.

"What job?" Kevin asked.

"The basement of the Whyte Wyrm is off limits to everyone, but that's where I met FP, and that's where I saw… He'd been shot. I never asked FP if he did it. I just… I mean, I was terrified. I… I just assumed. We stashed the body in the freezer, cleaned up the mess, got rid of any evidence…" Joaquin summarized.

"You are a criminal." Kevin told him angrily.

"Joaquin, FP has done jobs for my dad, Hiram Lodge, in the past. Do you think killing Jason was one of them?" Ronnie questioned.

"There was one time I overheard a conversation between FP and Mustang…"

"Who's Mustang?" Archie asked.

"He's another Serpent. The only other guy who knew about the clean-up. The guy you got into a fight with at the Wyrm. I heard him tell FP something about some rich guy. I don't know who." Joaquin confessed.

"Where is Mustang?" Veronica asked, getting an idea.

"No, no, no, no. You do not want to go see him." Joaquin tried to convince her.

"Yes, I do. And you're going to take us. Or…" Ronnie started and Kevin cut her off.

"Or I'm going to tell my dad about your little clean-up job." He threatened.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER || CITY CENTRE MOTOR HOTEL) -

Joaquin led the group to a seedy looking motel. They were forming a line with Daniel behind Joaquin, Ronnie behind him, Archie who had Diana beside him and Kevin taking the back.

"Not that much money in local crime and villainy, huh?" Ronnie said as she saw the state of the motel.

"This is him, here." Joaquin told them as he stopped in front of Room 226.

"Mustang? You here?" Joaquin called out as he knocked on the door.

When he heard no reply, he opened the door slowly and went inside and everyone followed. The place was a mess. Food and other junk was scattered everywhere. Archie and Diana saw an open door and decided to check it out. When they looked, they saw Mustang's dead body in the bath tub. Diana gasped as she saw and Archie turned her head and hid it into his chest. Daniel went to see what they were looking at with Veronica behind him.

"Oh, my God." Daniel exclaimed in shock.

This caused Kevin and Joaquin to look as well.

"I can't… I can't be here." Joaquin told them.

"Let's go. Call my dad." Kevin told the others as he was dragged away by Joaquin.

Archie took Diana out of the room with Daniel and Ronnie behind them. They made their way to the parking area before calling the cops. Soon, the place was filled with men in uniforms. Fred Andrews arrived on scene.

"Son…" He called to Archie who was still holding Diana.

"I'm okay. We all are." Archie informed his dad.

"What were you doing here in the first place?" Sheriff Keller asked them.

"We knew Mustang was a Serpent. We just wanted to talk to him, to see if he knew anything about FP." Daniel supplied.

"Veronica, this has to stop. Why are you doing this?" Hermione whispered to her daughter.

"Mom." Ronnie warned.

"What do you think happened in there?" Fred asked the Sheriff.

"Likely an overdose. We're waiting to see a time of death but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he was somehow involved in Jason's murder, and was feeling the heat." Sheriff Keller surmised.

"And how'd you know he even lived here?" Sheriff Keller asked them and no one spoke up till another officer called his attention.

"Sheriff… Found it under his bed." The officer said, handing him a bag full of cash with the initials H.L.

"Hermione Lodge? Mind explaining to me why your initials are on this bag?" He asked.

"Not Hermione Lodge, Sheriff. Hiram Lodge. My dad." Ronnie volunteered.

"Veronica!" Hermione scolded her daughter.

"Mom… He was doing business with the Serpents." Veronica confessed.

"And that's all we're saying until there's an attorney present." Hermione ended.

After a couple more questions, they were all free to go. Archie brought Diana over to Daniel's car and made sure she was okay before getting in his father's truck.

"This is exactly what I didn't want to happen. If you stay on this path, you will end up dead. Just like Jason Blossom. You gotta believe me, okay, when I tell you I'm trying to protect you. That is my job. It's the only one that counts. Do you got that?" Fred told Archie.

"Yes." Archie nodded as he wiped away a tear that fell from his eye.

 **(MEANWHILE WITH BETTY AND JUGHEAD || BLUE AND GOLD NEWSROOM)**

Betty and Jughead were talking about how FP was lying to them. They were trying to piece together the puzzle.

"My dad's been lying to me his whole life, but he's never been any good at it. I saw it in his eyes. He didn't do it." Jughead stated.

"So, why lie? Who is he protecting?" Betty wondered.

"Okay, who can we rule out?" Jughead asked as they looked at the Jason Blossom murder board.

"My dad. We know why he was acting so shady." Betty said as she removed the picture of her dad.

"Hermione." Betty said again and Jughead agreed. "Veronica says she's guilty of plenty, but not murder. Plus, she has an alibi. She was in New York." Betty stated.

"I guess that just leaves Hiram Lodge…" Jughead started.

"And Clifford and Penelope Blossom." Betty added.

Soon, Alice Cooper entered the newsroom.

"Well, what do we have here? You two just can't leave well enough alone, can you?" She asked the two teens.

"Mom, we know what you're gonna say." Betty told her.

"The police found another dead body." Alice revealed.

"Okay, maybe not that." Jughead supplied.

"A Southside Serpent and Sheriff Clueless is convinced that he was working with your father." Alice said, referring to FP.

"He allegedly committed suicide by overdose, and there was a bag of money on-site that links him to Hiram Lodge. Everything is tied up into a nice little bow. Too tidy if you ask me." Alice suspiciously said and Betty's phone rang.

"Kevin? Oh, okay. We'll meet you there." She said over the phone.

\- TIMESKIP (THAT NIGHT || OLD MAPLE FARM SIGN) -

"Whatever it is we're looking for, Joaquin didn't know if it would help your dad, or make things worse." Kevin said as he, Jughead and Betty hiked in the darkness, their flashlights the only source of light.

"Um, I guess we're going to find out. And why did he wait so long to tell us?" Betty asked out loud.

"FP called him from jail. Told him to forget about their plan, some contingency plan. He said it was too dangerous." Kevin recounted.

"Déjà vu." Jughead said as they got to the old maple farm sign.

He began crouching down, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He saw a bag hidden under some dead branches.

"Hey, right here." He said as he picked it up.

He opened the bag and took the item out only to see that it was Jason's varsity jacket. The friends stared at each other.

\- TIMESKIP LATER || ANDREWS GARAGE) -

Archie, Diana, Betty, Kevin, Daniel and Jughead all stood in a semi-circle and were staring at the jacket.

"This is meant to help FP?" Archie asked.

"I don't know. It looks more like incriminating evidence to me." Kevin stated.

"Yeah, this just confirms that my dad torched Jason's getaway car." Jughead moodily said.

"And that his confession was true." Kevin ended.

"Why would FP say Jase's varsity jacket is dangerous? What could that mean?" Betty asked.

"I can ask my father. He would know, considering we found concrete proof that he hired the Serpents to kill Jason. Which probably means that your dad pulled the trigger, Jughead. I'm sorry." Ronnie said as she entered the room and stood by Daniel's side.

Everyone was quiet, wondering if that was really all the pieces of the puzzle.

"No. No! No, I'm not giving up yet." Betty stated and Diana sighed as she thought hard, putting her hands in her jacket pocket. A thought struck her.

"Wait. I remembered something." She stated and everyone turned to look at her.

She picked up the jacket and turned to face Archie.

"Put this on." She demanded and Archie hesitatingly complied.

"Babe, this is weird." Archie stated as he put it on.

Diana went behind him and placed her hands on the jacket pockets.

"When Jason and I started dating, he's always give this to me to wear because he said it kept other males at bay. I remembered always getting annoyed because there was this hole in the pocket that made me lose my candy in the lining almost all the time." She explained as she started feeling the lining up.

"Hold on." She said as she felt something and in a few moments, held up a USB.

"What the hell?" Veronica asked as she saw it.

"Nancy Drew strikes again." Daniel and Kevin stated disbelievingly together.

Archie took off the jacket and Diana helped him with it.

"Guys, do you think that maybe I can… wear this for a while?" She hesitantly asked them.

"I'm sorry, Jewel. I know you want to, but it might be considered evidence now that we found this inside it." Jughead told her.

Diana just sighed, breathing in Jason's scent that was still in the jacket before nodding and putting it aside. The group all sat around one of the couches as Betty fired up her computer and plugged the USB in. Everyone held their breath as Betty clicked on a file. It was a video.

"Oh, my God." Veronica exclaimed as she saw who was in the video.

The next thing they hear is a gunshot and Diana turned away and started sobbing in Archie's arms.

"Oh, my God." Ronnie tearfully said as Daniel held her close to him.

"Jason…" Diana sobbed violently and Betty didn't say anything as she closed the laptop and stood up.

"Betty…" Jughead called out as she dialed a number on her phone.

"Danny, get Cher out of there." Diana sobbed and Daniel nodded.

"Betty who are you calling?" Daniel asked her.

"You have to get out of that house. Listen to me. Your father killed your brother. Clifford Blossom murdered Jason." Betty stated and a few words were said over the phone before she ended the call.

"Was that Cheryl?" Kevin asked her and Betty nodded.

"She's gonna get out of there, right? I won't allow them to hurt her." Diana asked as she wiped away her tears.

They called up Alice Cooper and Fred Andrews and showed them the video. Everyone agreed that Alice would be the one to show it to Sheriff Keller and Mayor McCoy. The truth was finally out.

* * *

 _That night, Sheriff Keller and Mayor McCoy saw what we watched in Archie's garage._

 _Jason, tied to a chair, in the basement of a bar, on the Southside of Riverdale, while a Serpent, Mustang, taunted him._

 _Then the unthinkable. Clifford Blossom shot his own son dead._

 _Later, we would learn why my father confessed. Because Clifford Blossom visited him on the night of his arrest, with a threat, that I, Jughead Jones, would suffer the same fate as Jason Blossom, if my father didn't confess. My dad was protecting me from a monster, and the nightmare was far from over._

 _And our families, far from repaired._

 _And though one question had been answered that night, that it was Clifford Blossom who killed Jason, a new mystery loomed over Riverdale._

 _Why had he done it? It was a question only Clifford himself would be able to answer._


	25. Episode 13 - The Beginning of the End

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

 _It was the ultimate cliffhanger. Clifford Blossom had killed himself. But why? Life's not an Agatha Christie novel. It's a lot messier._

 _Turns out, maple syrup was a front for his true business. Transporting heroin from Montreal on his trucks. A narrative quickly emerged._

 _That Jason Blossom learned about dear old Dad's drug running, and threatened to expose the truth. Which led to Jason's abduction at the hands of a Southside Serpent named Mustang. And then to Jason's murder at the hands of his father._

 _Clifford killed Mustang to cover his tracks, making it look like he'd overdosed, and tried to implicate a rival businessman, Hiram Lodge, as having masterminded the whole thing._

 _And, oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Mr. Blossom threatened my life, so that my dad would confess to pulling the trigger, even though all he did was clean up the mess._

 _And he would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for a group of pesky kids who uncovered the truth. Jason's murder had revealed some dark truths none of us were too eager to face. Especially not Mayor McCoy, who wanted every last vestige of corruption crushed like a snake under a boot heel._

* * *

Diana sighed as she stood in front of Jason's grave in Thornhill, holding Nate in her arms. She had one of the workers help her set up a blanket beside his grave before sitting down on it and setting Nate beside her.

"Hey, sweetheart. It's been more than a year since I last saw you face to face. And I never had the chance to come here and visit you until now. I promised you I would help catch whoever did this to you, didn't I? We found out, Jase. But it was surprising to me, to find that your own father did it." Diana said as she traced the name on the tombstone, Nate beside her looking at his mom curiously.

"I know you know this, but, I still miss you a lot. And you know you'll always have a special place in my heart. I hope you can see how happy Archie makes me and Nate and I hope you understand that as every day goes by, I fall deeper for him but don't worry, Jase, just because I love him more and more, does not mean I would love you less and less. Nate is growing bigger and bigger every day. He looks more like you as time passes. I hope you and Matt are up there watching us, guiding us and protecting us. And don't fret, I'll make sure Nate grows up knowing everything there is to know about his daddy." Diana laughed a little as she placed Nate in her lap and tickled him, making him laugh.

He then made a face, looking like he wanted to say something.

"What is it, baby boy?" Diana encouraged him.

"Dee. Dee." Nate babbled.

"Are you trying to say daddy? Can you say daddy for me?" Diana told her son excitedly.

"Dee!" Nate continued to cry out happily while clapping his hands together.

"I'm proud of you, baby. I'm sure Daddy is watching us and is proud of you too." Diana told her son.

The rest of the day, Diana and Nate stayed beside Jason's grave. Talking to him, and having their own family picnic. Diana even brought a picture of Matthew and placed it beside Jason's tombstone so it felt like they were a complete family.

' _I miss everything we do. But, I'll be fine without you.'_

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || RIVERDALE HIGH) -

Diana, Archie and Betty were walking towards the entrance of the school from where Diana parked her car. Betty was talking about what's been going on with her family.

"They're acting like the last week and the last few months didn't even happen. Polly's back home, my dad's back home, my mom's back at the Register. They all just keep smiling and talking about the Jubilee." Betty told the both of them.

"How are Polly and the babies by the way?" Diana inserted as Polly had left Evergreen Manor when her parents told her the truth about her relationship with Jason Blossom and apologized for keeping it from her.

"She's fine. The babies are growing bigger every day and healthier than ever." Betty answered with a smile.

"Well, everything seems normal, that's good, right?" Archie asked.

"No, it's horrible. It's exactly the way things were before, pretending to be normal and perfect when really, we're like… Like a Greek suburban tragedy. My family imploded, Arch, Di, and we barely survived. If we don't start dealing with our crap, it's all gonna happen again." Betty exclaimed.

\- TIMESKIP (SCHOOL HOURS || PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE) -

Daniel, Archie and Betty were sitting in front of Mayor McCoy and Principal Weatherbee.

"Archie, Betty, Daniel. We'd like to feature the three of you at the Jubilee. As you know, it's our 75th anniversary of our town's founding, and also a kickoff for the next 75 years. And who better represents the future of Riverdale than the young people who, working with Sheriff Keller and my office, helped bring peace and justice to our streets once more?" Mayor McCoy told the three of them.

"But, that's not exactly what happened…" Betty started saying but Principal Weatherbee chastised her.

"Let the Mayor finish, Ms. Cooper."

"Archie, Danny, the Pussycats will be performing at the Jubilee, and I would love for the both of you to join them. Betty, I think it's important that we hear from Riverdale's best and brightest. What do you say, three of you?" The mayor praised.

"What about Jughead?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, and Diana?" Archie added.

"I… I like Jughead and Diana. And they are welcome to attend the Jubilee, of course. But Jughead's father is in jail, and with the recent development in the case of the Blossom family and Diana's _undeniable_ connection to them, I think it might be confusing to have them up on the Jubilee stage." Mayor McCoy explained.

"That's so unfair, Mayor McCoy." Betty told her.

"Betty, Archie, Daniel, you're heroes. The kind of heroes that Riverdale desperately needs right about now." The Mayor pleaded with them.

\- TIMESKIP (LUNCH PERIOD || SCHOOL CAFETERIA) -

The whole gang was seated around a table and talking about what Mayor McCoy told Daniel, Archie and Betty.

"I told her I wouldn't do it. Not unless you guys are up there with us, Jug, Di." Betty stated.

"I appreciate the righteous indignation, Betty, I do, but Jubilees aren't my thing." Jughead told her.

"I just don't like that much attention on me in general." Diana added.

"Jug, how's your dad? Did you get in to see him?" Archie asked his best friend.

"Here's the latest. Mayor McCoy wants my dad to name names in exchange for a lesser sentence." Jughead confessed.

"What? Whose names?" Veronica asked.

"The Serpents. Sheriff Keller thinks they're the ones dealing the drugs that Clifford Blossom brought into the town." Jughead said.

"My dad says more and more drugs are hitting the streets." Kevin supplied.

"Kevin, relax, this isn't The Wire. My dad says they're not the ones dealing." Jughead defended.

"And meanwhile, Mayor McCoy hasn't even said the words "Clifford" or "Blossom" in public. It's all about how the Serpents are the problem, the villains." Daniel spoke up.

"This is outrageous. I'm writing an article about this, and not just for the Blue and Gold, for The Register. This is a town story." Betty said.

"Okay, as long as the article doesn't include my dad." Jughead pleaded.

"No, it is going to be about your dad, Jug. It doesn't matter how many Jubilees Mayor McCoy throws. This town's changed. That needs to be acknowledged. Why are people so afraid of speaking the truth?" Betty wondered.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT DAY ||STUDENT LOUNGE) -

Daniel and Diana walked into the student lounge to see Cheryl.

"Cher, I didn't know you were coming in today. How're you holding up?" Diana asked as she sat down beside her friend/sister.

"I'm okay. We buried dad today. It was just a small ceremony just me and mom." Cheryl informed them.

"What? Why didn't you tell us? We would've skipped school for you." Daniel told her comfortingly, sitting beside Diana and leaning forward to be able to see Cheryl.

"It's okay. Now that the truth is out about what Daddy did to JJ, I didn't want you guys to be there knowing that it would only hurt you more. Especially you, Diana." Cheryl said as she leaned her head against Diana's shoulder.

"We still would've been there if you needed us, Cher. Didn't I tell you before? You don't have to go through this alone." Diana reminded her and Cheryl just smiled.

"Danny, I know I never said this before but I'm sorry for what happened at the banquet during maple season week. And Di, I'm sorry about what happened during Jughead's party." Cheryl apologized.

"It's okay, Cheryl. We forgive you. Just know that if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call us. Any of us, okay?" Daniel reassured her and she just nodded.

"Diana, I wanted to give you this." Cheryl said as she pulled out her HBIC shirt from her bag.

"But this is one of your favorite shirts to wear during Vixen practice." Diana mentioned.

"These last few days have put things in perspective. And I realized that I've shed my tears for the Blossom men. Say hi to Nathaniel for me, will you? And Diana? Congratulations, new directress." Cheryl stated as she stood up from the couch and left the lounge, leaving the twins confused as to what she was up to.

 **(WITH ARCHIE || TOWN HALL)**

Archie was showing Josie his new song.

"It's really good, Archie. Each song, you're getting better and better." Josie complimented him.

"That's great, Josie. Because I was hoping we could…" Archie trailed off.

"Oh, we can't sing it at the Jubilee. No, my mom already approved Astronaut." Josie informed him.

"But my song is about…"

"Your friends. Who've been through hell and back, I get it."

"Yeah. Exactly."

"Yeah. So…The Jubilee, that's for the entire town. Not just your friends." Josie informed him as she handed back the music sheets

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER CLASSES || COOPER RESIDENCE) -

Betty, Veronica and Diana were at Betty's room, painting their nails and talking about Cheryl quitting her positon as head River Vixen.

"It was weird, you guys. I'm telling you, I feel like there's some dark goings on at Thornhill." Diana informed them.

"Well, not just at Thornhill. Town wide. You can feel it. Something wicked this way comes." Betty supplied.

"Which reminds me, I loved your article." Ronnie told Betty.

"Good, because I already posted it on the Blue and Gold's website, with hardcopies in circulation tomorrow morning." Betty said as she showed them her laptop.

"Betty, now that it's just us girls, I know we never talked about this, but before I left Riverdale, ever since I could remember, you've had this huge crush on Archie and I think you even loved him. But, I just wanted to ask if you were legitimately cool with Archie and I?" Diana asked.

"I swear on my copy of Forever by Judy Blume." Betty grinned and the friends laughed together.

"I miss this." A voice came from the door and Diana turned to see Polly.

"Pols!" She said as she stood to hug her friend.

"I miss the gossiping, doing homework, being a River Vixen. Basically, just going to school." Polly told them.

"Then come back." Betty told her.

"Mom doesn't want me to." Polly sadly stated.

"Naturally, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her." Diana mischievously said and the four girls looked at each other.

 **(WITH ARCHIE, DANIEL, AND JUGHEAD)**

The boys just entered Archie's house from hanging out somewhere.

"That hottie kept looking at you." Archie teased Jughead as Daniel laughed.

They made their way to the kitchen where they saw Fred and a woman.

"Hey, guys. This is Ms. Weiss from Social Services. She's… She's Jughead's case worker." Fred explained to the three teens awkwardly.

"Jughead, I know how terrible and emotional the last few days have been for you. Your father's facing serious jail time. Your mom's over-extended and out of state. We just want to make sure that you're taken care of." The case worker explained to Jughead.

"Well, he can keep staying with us, right, Dad?" Archie asked his father.

"I offered already, Arch." Fred answered.

"Great, so what's the problem?" Archie asked, confused.

"It was a DUI. After your mom left. Look, we can talk about this later but between that and my cash flow problem, it knocks me out." Fred honestly stated.

"Well, he's always welcome to stay at Evergreen Manor. There's enough room there and cash is never a problem, that's for sure." Daniel volunteered.

"We want Jughead to be in an environment with legal adult supervision." Ms. Weiss told him.

"My brother, Derrick, is a legal adult. And I'm sure he'll be happy to let Jughead stay with my sister and I." Daniel argued.

"However, your brother is not around majority of the time. There is a family on the Southside that's offered to foster you. They're good people, they've worked with us before." Ms. Weiss told Jughead.

"That doesn't sound completely horrible." Jughead surmised.

"It does mean that you'll be in a different school district, Jughead, and you'll have to transfer schools." She explained to him.

"What the hell? When is all this supposed to happen?" Archie asked, outraged.

"The paperwork's been processed. Unless there is a radical change in your father's case, you'll be on the Southside by the end of the week." Ms. Weiss stated, looking at Jughead who didn't say anything.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || SCHOOL CAFETERIA) -

Jughead sat at a lunch table alone before Ronnie, who had Daniel behind her, spoke up.

"Betty and Diana are babysitting Polly, mind if we join you?" Ronnie asked him.

"Are you sure you guys wanna sit at the social pariah table?" Jughead asked them.

"We've been sitting at it for months, why should today be any different." Daniel said as he made sure Ronnie took a seat before taking his own.

"By the way, I've been thinking. You and I have a lot in common, Jughead." Ronnie suddenly stated.

"Oh, because my dad's going to prison and your dad is getting out?" Jughead asked her sarcastically.

"Well, I was going to say that we're dating one of each other's best friends. But yes, the prison thing, too." Ronnie told him and Jughead smiled.

Suddenly, they noticed Cheryl stop in front of their table.

"Jughead. I'm sorry. I had no right to pummel you the way I did that day. As recompense, I'd like to give you this." Cheryl said as she threw something which Jughead caught.

Two out of the three teens seated at the table looked questioningly at it while one looked amazed.

"It's your spider brooch." Daniel told Cheryl and she nodded.

"It'll catch a pretty penny at the local pawn shop. Enough to keep you in burgers and "S" t-shirts for years, if not decades." Cheryl explained to Jughead.

"Cheryl, what is going on?" Ronnie worriedly asked, knowing this was not normal behavior for the redhead.

"I'm…" Cheryl tried to say but was interrupted by Kevin running into the lunch room.

"Guys, hurry. It's Betty's locker. Come on, it's bad! Come on, come on!" Kevin said, rushing the three teens and Danny patted Cheryl's shoulder as he passed by and they left her standing there.

"What's going on?" Archie asked the group as they rushed past.

"Come with us." Ronnie stated and Danny pulled Archie along.

The group made their way to Betty's locker area and saw the corridor full of students staring and taking pictures of something. The group barged in and saw Betty, Diana and Polly staring at the vandalism on Betty's locker that consisted of copies of the Blue and Gold with the writings "GO TO HELL SERPENT SLUT" in red. Jughead stepped in front of Betty and stopped her from reaching out and taking it down.

"Betty. Betty. Hey, no…" He said as he tried to stop her.

"It's nothing, Jug, it's just a jerk with a can of spray paint." She told him, still trying to get past him and take it down.

"I don't think that's spray paint, okay?" Jughead said as he hugged her and took her away from the scene.

Diana shook off her shock and looked at Daniel, nodding. The twins, through their telepathy thing, seemed to understand just what to do.

"Okay guys, nothing to see here. Move or I will personally hold you all responsible for this incident. Trust me you do not want to mess with Diana Kennedy." Diana warned the crowd who still continued to take pictures.

Daniel took over for her, stepping in front and blocking the locker from most of the students' view.

"You heard my sister! Get your asses moving or we will report you as liable. Don't mess with us!" Daniel angrily said but some students were hard headed and still stayed.

Diana angrily sighed before she took her phone out.

"You don't wanna listen? Fine. I'm calling the cops and you all will be suspended. Try me." She threatened and everyone left put away their phones before dispersing, whispering and talking about what just happened.

\- TIMESKIP (AFTER SCHOOL || ANDREWS RESIDENCE) -

Archie and Diana were in the kitchen with Fred, telling him about the incident earlier at school.

"It was pig's blood, Dad. Where do you even get pig's blood? I wanna slam whoever did that through a wall." Archie ranted as Diana tried her best to get him to calm down.

"Yeah, I agree with Archie, though. Betty's getting threats. Jughead is being thrown into a snake pit, and we can't even do anything to help them." Diana said.

"Sometimes, you help them just by showing up." Fred told them both.

"I've been showing up all year, Dad. And it hasn't made one bit of difference. We're getting our asses kicked." Archie stated.

"Hey, don't say that. I'm sure Juggy and Betty appreciate the support, especially coming from you." Diana said as she rubbed Archie's back up and down in a comforting manner to get him to calm down.

\- TIMESKIP (THE NEXT DAY || STUDENT'S LOUNGE) -

Betty was telling Ronnie, Danny, Diana and Archie about the piece of information her mom revealed last night.

"The craziest thing is, I have a secret brother out there in the world." Betty said with a tone of unbelief.

"It's positively Dickensian." Danny told her from his position on the couch.

"I love a long-lost brother. Not that Danny and Derrick were bad ones. How old would he be?" Diana clarified as she cuddled beside Archie on another couch.

"Mid-twenties." Betty calculated in her head.

"Oh, my God. A blond Adonis, no doubt." Ronnie stated from her position on the backrest of the couch Danny was sitting on.

"Hey!" Danny jokingly complained as Ronnie plopped down into his lap and he tickled her as Betty answered her ringing phone.

Hey listened to the one-sided conversation.

"Hey, where are you? Have you been getting my messages?"

"Oh, my God. What?"

There was a pause as the person on the other end spoke before Betty ended the call.

"Where is he?" Diana asked, assuming it was Jughead who had called.

"Southside High. He said it's where he belongs and that no one wants him here." Betty announced.

"FP warned me Jughead would cut himself off, go to the dark side." Archie stated.

"Guys, we can't let him do that." Daniel stated and Veronica plucked his car keys from her bag and threw it at him.

"What are we waiting for? Danny, you drive." Ronnie said and they all ran down the school corridors to get to the parking lot and to Southside High.

\- TIMESKIP (MINUTES LATER || SOUTHSIDE HIGH) -

The gang ran through the metal detectors of the school and looked around the deserted halls.

"Where would he be?" Ronnie asked them and the other 4 teens looked at one another before answering.

"Cafeteria."

They soon found him in a table surrounded by other Southside High kids. Betty touched his shoulder.

"Jug…" Jughead turned around and looked at his friends confused.

"What are you guys doing here?" He asked.

"Look, can we maybe take this outside where we can talk in private?" Daniel asked as he looked pointedly at the other students who were eyeing the group.

They all made their way out and Betty and Jughead moved a little way away from the group to talk.

"I didn't tell you ahead of time because I knew you would've tried to stop me." Jughead told her.

"Damn straight. And I'm still gonna try." Betty answered.

"Betty, the Southside is where the powers that be want me. Maybe I wanna be here as well. I may blend in better here. And it would keep you safe."

"I'm not letting Riverdale's civil war split us apart, Jug." She stated and they hugged each other.

The other four teens looked back on them and saw them hugging.

"They're each other's soulmates. Good for them, don't you think?" Ronnie asked, looking up at Danny.

"Well, I think I was pretty lucky finding my soulmate myself." Danny teased as he pulled her closer to his side and kissed the side of her head as Ronnie laughed a little.

"I never knew Juggy was capable of showing affection for something other than food. But, I called it. Bughead did rise." Diana said with a grin as she looked at her best friends. She then noticed Archie still staring at the pair.

"Arch, what is it?" She asked him as he looked back at her.

"Diana, I…" Archie started saying but was cut off by Diana's phone beeping.

"Wait." She said as she opened the text.

"Thanks for trying. I'm going to be with Jason now." She read out loud and looked up at the others confused.

"Oh, my God." Ronnie suddenly cried out.

"What?" Danny asked, still confused.

"Where would Cheryl go to be with Jase?" Diana supplied, catching Ronnie's train of thought.

"Sweetwater River." Archie answered.

"We have to go!" Ronnie urgently said and Danny turned to get the car started.

"Guys! We have to go!" Diana called out to Jughead and Betty and the gang made their way to Sweetwater River.


	26. Episode 13 - Bittersweet Endings

_**Author's Note: Riverdale, it's plot, cast and characters do not belong to me. Only Diana and Daniel Kennedy do. Everyone is 16 and starting their Junior year in this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please fave and/or review each chapter. Positive feedback and suggestions and ideas are always welcome**_

* * *

\- (AT SWEETWATER RIVER) -

The gang arrived at the place and ran around trying to look for signs of Cheryl anywhere.

"Cheryl?"

"Cheryl?"

"Cheryl?"

They stopped as they reached the edge of the forest and near the frozen river.

"She's not here." Archie stated as they stopped to catch their breath.

"Over there! Oh, my God. She's over there!" Betty pointed to a figure bobbing in the snow.

"Cheryl!" They all cried as they started to run towards her.

"Cheryl, stop! What are you doing?" Daniel angrily cried out at her.

"Wait, wait! Wait, Jug!" Archie warned Jughead who stepped into the ice that was over the river.

"The ice. He's right. Too much weight, and we'll all go under." Jughead informed them.

"Cheryl!" Archie shouted to get her attention.

"Cheryl, please. Just come to the shore and we'll figure this out together, okay?" Ronnie pleaded.

"Fuck this. I'm not losing you too." Diana said as she ran out to the river and arrived just in time to see Cheryl fall down the hole she made.

"Diana!" Archie cried out as she ran towards Cheryl.

"NO!" Diana screamed as she ran faster to where she last saw the redhead. She was already looking around when the other's reached her.

"The current has her." Daniel pointed out.

"Spread out, spread out!" Jughead ordered and they began clearing the snow on top of the ice to see the water below.

"She's here! She's here!" Archie cried out and they all ran towards him.

Archie started to punch the ice.

"Arch, be careful!" Diana told him with tears in her eyes.

Soon, Daniel joined in and together, they tried to break the wall of ice that prevented them from rescuing their friend. Blood soon coated the ice but neither of them stopped as the others tried to call around for help. Soon the ice broke and Archie and Danny pulled Cheryl out the water. Archie started doing chest compressions while Daniel did mouth to mouth. Cheryl soon spit out the water that was in her lungs and Archie carried her back to the car.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT DAY || EVERGREEN MANOR) -

Cheryl was seated in front of the fireplace in Evergreen Manor with a blanket around her.

"Hey." Diana smiled weakly as she sat beside her.

"Hot chocolate? With a little splash of peppermint liqueur." Danny stated as he sat on Cheryl's other side.

"Thank you." Cheryl told the both of them.

"No problem. Are you warm enough?" Diana asked as she fixed the blanket on Cheryl to make it cover her more since Daniel couldn't do it because of the broken hand he had sustained from punching the ice.

"Why did you do it, Cher-bear?" Danny asked her as Diana stopped messing with the blankets and turned to her as well.

"I just felt like I wasn't needed or wanted anymore. First, Jay-Jay's gone and now daddy is as well. And mommy won't even let me mourn properly. I just wanted it all to end. I wanted to be with Jay-Jay so I didn't have to feel anything, anymore. I guess mom really was right. The Blossom family name is cursed. I'm kind of glad that Nate's last name is Kennedy." Cheryl confessed.

"Cher-bear. When we said we'd always have your back, we meant it. Whatever you need and whenever you need it, we'll always be here for you. You're like a sister to me, and you remind me of your brother every single day. He wouldn't have wanted this for you. Taking the easy way out? The Cheryl I know would have fought tooth and nail to succeed and get to the top no matter what. I love you and I want you safe and sound always." Diana told her as she hugged the redhead who hugged her back.

"Well, you're welcome to stay as long as you like but Di and I have to get to the Jubilee. Are you gonna be alright here by yourself?" Daniel asked as he stood up from his position on the floor.

"I'll just warm up and go home." Cheryl told the both of them.

"Don't do it again, okay? Who's gonna tell Nate the stories of his dad and aunt when they were still kids? He'll miss you a lot for sure." Diana said as she stood up as well and Cheryl nodded with a small smile before the twins turned to leave the manor.

\- TIMESKIP (JUBILEE PROGRAM || TOWN HALL) -

Archie was practicing trying to play his guitar with a matching broken hand like Daniel's.

"That's what you get for punching a river of ice. Are you sure you should be performing?" Diana asked him worriedly as she entered the room and stood in front of him.

"Do you remember Freshman year, when I played the whole season with a broken hand?" Archie asked.

"That was a taped-up hand." Diana said as she looked down, not meeting his eyes.

"Hey. You okay?" Archie asked, picking up on her mood.

"When we were at Southside High, you were looking at Betty and Jughead…I don't know, wistfully."

"Wistfully?"

"Longingly. Like you liked Betty." Diana admitted.

"I do. I always will. As friends. The moment you're talking about, I was seeing Betty and Jughead and I was seeing how good they were, and it confirmed how I've been feeling these past few weeks. I know Jason will always be your first love. I want to be what Jughead is to Betty for you." Archie told her.

"A soulmate? A broad shoulder I can cry on every now and then?" Diana asked teasingly as she draped an arm over his shoulder and one hand caressed the side of his face.

Archie laughed before answering, "Yeah" in a serious tone.

"Arch, babe, you may not have noticed but you've been that for me ever since before I left, before I got together with Jason and even sometimes when Jase and I fought. I just never saw you in a different light apart from friendship until I got back. I came back to Riverdale, to mourn the loss of my love, never expecting to find it again, especially with one of my closest friends. But I felt like, your soul, it called to me, telling me I could learn to trust it and warming the ice walls I've built around my heart. Now that we found out who killed Jase, I feel like my heart can finally let him go. I talked to him about you and I felt like he was telling me that he approved. So, to show you how much I'm ready to move forward with you, I got you this." Diana said as she reached into her pocket and retrieved a silver chain with a sapphire gem slab in the middle along with a silver dog tag that said: Kennedy.

She put it on him and he pulled it up once she was done to get a closer look.

"Di, babe, wow, this is beautiful." He said as he admired the jewelry.

"I, uh, made one for myself." Diana shyly stated as she took out the necklace from under the dress.

It was like Archie's except the gem was a ruby and the dog tag said: Andrews. Archie pulled her back closer to him.

"I don't know what to say, babe." He stated.

"Then let me be the one to speak this time. I love you, I love you, I love you." Diana said as she kissed his forehead and nose after each I love you before finally kissing his lips after the third one.

Things started heating up but were interrupted by Josie and the pussycats. They broke apart and looked embarrassedly at the group.

"Earlier, your girl Di, here, called to tell me what happened with Cheryl. I've reconsidered something. About your song." Josie said and Archie couldn't help but smile big at the news.

 **(MEANWHILE WITH VERONICA AND DANIEL)**

Daniel was sitting at a chair in another room, staring at his broken hand when Veronica entered and saw him there.

"It was very brave what you did for Cheryl." She stated and Danny looked up at her with a grin.

"Yeah? You think I could pass for a superhero now?" Danny asked her teasingly as she walked towards him and sat sideways on his lap to look at his hand.

She took it and looked into his eyes as she kissed it to make him feel better.

"You are amazing, Daniel John Kennedy." Ronnie said in a low tone.

"All I ever wanna be is someone capable of protecting you from anything. I know that I could never be superman, I can't fly you to places you wanna go, but I promise that I'll try my best to be superhuman. For you. I love you, Veronica Lodge." Danny told her honestly.

"You're my soulmate, my shoulder to cry on, and my own personal superhero. You don't need to be able to fly or have super strength just to impress me because you're doing a great job so far being yourself. I love you too, Danny." She said as she leaned in to kiss him.

Pretty soon, they were in a heated make out session but was interrupted by someone entering the room.

"Hey, guys! Guess wha- Oh, my God!" It was Diana who had said that as she entered the room and saw the two in a heated liplock.

They broke apart and looked at Diana embarrassed.

"What do you want, Di?" Danny asked her sister.

"Uhm, Josie, the Pussycats and Archie need you both. They're changing the setlist to Archie's song." Diana informed before leaving the room.

Ronnie just shook her head before kissing Danny's cheek and getting up from his lap. She pulled him up as well before heading over the other room to go over Archie's song with the others.

\- TIMESKIP (START OF PROGRAM || TOWN HALL) -

Mayor McCoy was addressing the audience.

"Welcome, one and all, to Riverdale's 75th anniversary Jubilee celebration!" She said as people cheered and clapped.

She waited for the audience to calm down before speaking again.

"I couldn't be any more thrilled to introduce my daughter, Josie, and her Pussycats, as they perform alongside our local heroes, Archie Andrews and Daniel Kennedy!" Mayor McCoy introduced.

The audience cheered as the performers walked to the center of the stage. Josie spoke into the mike first.

"Hi, hi, everyone. We're switching things up tonight. We are singing a song that my boy, Archie Andrews, wrote. So…" She said as she made way for Archie to take Center stage and joined the pussycats on Archie's right while Danny was on his left.

 _Play: (These Are the Moments I Remember || Riverdale Cast)_

 _[Verse 1: Archie]_

 _Every moment we're together_

 _Is a moment I remember_

 _I'll take the good, the bad, the better_

 _And the smell of your favourite sweater_

 _These are moments I remember_

 _These are moments I remember_

 _[Chorus: All]_

 _My love, my heart_

 _I wanna share it with you_

 _Tough breaks, new starts_

 _I wanna share it with you_

 _I wanna share it with you_

 _[Verse 2: Danny and Josie]_

 _When there's nothing left that's certain_

 _Then it's time to raise the curtains_

 _Whispers of a truth that shatters_

 _Dove deep to collect the errors_

 _These are moments we'll remember_

 _These are moments we'll remember_

 _[Chorus: All]_

 _My love, my heart_

 _I wanna share it with you_

 _Tough breaks, new starts_

 _I wanna share it with you_

 _When it seams too hard to bear_

 _I'll be here or I'll be there_

 _I wanna share it with you_

 _[Bridge: Josie]_

 _What's come undone_

 _Can be built up_

 _Stronger than ever before_

 _[Chorus: All]_

 _My love, my heart_

 _I wanna share it with you_

 _Tough breaks, new starts_

 _I wanna share it with you_

 _When it seems too hard to bear_

 _I'll be here or I'll be there_

 _I wanna share it with you_

 _I wanna share it with you_

In the middle of the song, Danny made eye contact with Ronnie and winked in her direction as she smiled at him. Archie looked at Diana who was seated with Nate in the crowd already and gave her a wide smile to which she blew a kiss back to him and made Nate wave. But somehow, Archie found her eyes straying to Betty who was at the side with Mayor McCoy. Once the song finished, everyone was clapping for the performers as they exited the stage and Betty went up to the podium and started her speech.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to thank Mayor McCoy for inviting me to speak on this historic day. Seventy-five years of Riverdale…" She trailed off and looked at the audience as she saw Jughead, who had just entered, by the entrance.

"But what is Riverdale? It's the people, right? You, me, our friends, our neighbors." She continued.

"Riverdale is Archie Andrews." She stated which earned cheers from a few people in the crowd.

"Kevin Keller is Riverdale. Veronica Lodge, she's Riverdale. Daniel Kennedy, he's Riverdale as well." She listed more examples.

"But you know who else is Riverdale? FP Jones, who we were so quick to blame for Jason's murder. Diana Kennedy, who isn't here on stage with us because of her _undeniable_ connection to the Blossoms. Jughead Jones is Riverdale, the very soul of Riverdale. Without him, we may not have ever found out what happened to Jason. And yet how do we thank him? By banishing him. Which is what we do when the truth gets too ugly in Riverdale. Truth being that Clifford Blossom was also Riverdale. Riverdale's at a crossroads. If we don't face the reality of who and what we are, if we keep lying to ourselves and keeping secrets from each other, then what happened to Jason could happen again. Or, God forbid, something even worse. Riverdale must do better. We must do better." She ended and everyone was silent for a moment and Betty looked down, embarrassed.

That was before Jughead started clapping, followed by Kevin, and then Diana stood up and clapped as well. After this, everyone started clapping and gave Betty a standing ovation and she smiled at the crowd.

\- TIMESKIP (LATER THAT NIGHT || POP'S CHOCK'LIT SHOP) -

The 6 teens were seated in a booth, each with a milkshake of their own. Daniel had pulled Ronnie closer that she was halfway sitting on his lap, Jughead had an arm around Betty who had put one of her feet up in the chair, and Archie and Diana sat close, leaning towards the table and Archie had an arm around Diana's waist.

"To Daniel Kennedy and Archie Andrews, who both saved the cheerleader and the town." Ronnie said as she lifted her milkshake up for a toast.

"You know what, actually I think it was Betty's speech." Archie told them.

"Here, here to Betty Cooper." Diana cheerfully said and everyone clinked the glasses as they said "Cheers!"

* * *

 _We had many milkshakes that night, and we all felt that as dangerous as the world around us had become, here, at least in this booth, we were safe._

* * *

\- TIMESKIP (A FEW HOURS LATER) -

 **(WITH BETTY AND JUGHEAD || JONES TRAILER)**

"Wow, it looks great in here." Betty commented as she saw how clean the place was.

"I cleaned it up after Sheriff Keller trashed it. Just in case my dad…" Jughead trailed off as he threw his coat and keys to the side.

"Until he gets out, I'm not giving up on him, Jug." Betty stated with her back turned to him as she continued looking around.

"Hell no. That is why I love you, Betty." Jughead said which made Betty turn to face him.

"I love you, Betty Cooper." He stated again as she walked towards where he was standing.

"Jughead Jones. I love you." She replied before she kissed him.

They kissed for a bit until Jughead picked her up and she laughed.

 **(WITH VERONICA AND DANIEL || THE PEMBROOKE)**

Ronnie was sneaking Danny into the suite. They tiptoed along the halls quietly.

"What about your mom?" Danny asked her.

"At this hour, after mixing her reds and whites at the Jubilee, she's no doubt sleeping soundly in the arms of Prince Valium. So, come on in, but keep it quiet, okay?" Ronnie seductively said as Danny put an arm around her and looked down at her with a smile as she pulled him into her room.

Danny leaned against the wall beside the door as Ronnie closed it and stepped closer to him. They started kissing and soon, Ronnie started taking off her heels as Danny unzipped the back of her dress and she helped Danny get his polo off while he took off his own shoes as well. They kept kissing as Ronnie helped pull Danny's white undershirt off and started walking backwards where Danny lifted her up to sit on the edge of the bed. Ronnie pulled away a little, their faces still close together to take of her dress and reveal her bra. She ran a hand up Danny's abs as they kissed again.

"I never expected falling for you, Daniel Kennedy. But I'm glad you're the one who's here with me." Ronnie whispered as she pulled him into another kiss as they fell back on the bed.

 **(WITH DIANA AND ARCHIE || EVERGREEN MANOR)**

Diana laughed quietly as Archie stumbled a little when he entered through the door way.

"Shh. You'll wake people up. Are you sure you wanna do this?" Archie asked her as she pulled him upstairs in the direction of her bedroom.

"Babe, you've been so patient and amazing and I'm ready to experience love again, with you." She stated as she opened the bedroom door and stepped inside.

"What about Nate? What if he wakes up?" Archie asked as he entered the room and turned to close the door behind him.

"The walls are soundproofed, trust me. Now, are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna love me?" She asked and Archie turned back to her, having just finished locking the door to see her dress on the floor, her seated on the edge of the bed in only her heels and underwear.

Archie looked at her with wide eyes. Taking in her almost naked form. Diana stood up from her position and walked towards a still shocked Archie. She placed her arms around his shoulders and pushed his head forward so she could whisper in his ear.

"I love you, Archie Andrews. And I want you to make love to me." She said before Archie broke out of his trance and started kissing her, making her walk back and fall back into the bed where Archie straddled her waist as her hands made their way to his belt and he started taking off his polo and his white undershirt.

 **(WITH BETTY AND JUGHEAD)**

Jughead had propped up Betty on one of the counters as they continued making out. They pulled away a little as they both helped each other take off their shirts before kissing again. Jughead started kissing down Betty's neck when a knock on the trailer door interrupted their moment.

"Oh, my God." Betty cried out, shocked at the sudden interruption.

"Is that your mom?" Jughead asked her.

"Who else would it be?" Betty answered, frustrated.

They both put on their shirts before Jughead opened the door to see the Southside Serpents on his porch.

"Easy, Hot Dog. He's family." One of the members said, holding a barking dog back.

"Hey." Jughead greeted them cautiously.

"Heard your dad could have named names but didn't. Serpents take care of their own. We wanted you to know, no matter what happens to him, however long he's gone, we've got your back." One of the bigger members said.

He held up a Serpent jacket to Jughead.

"This is yours, if you want it." He offered.

Jughead took it and looked at the name SOUTH SIDE embroidered in the back. He smirked before putting it on.

"Juggy?" Betty called out, confused as to what he was doing, wearing the jacket.

\- TIMESKIP (NEXT DAY) -

 **(WITH VERONICA AND DANIEL || THE PEMBROOKE)**

Veronica woke up to the smell of food. She opened her eyes and saw Daniel seated in front of her with a tray of breakfast.

"Breakfast in bed again? I must say, Mr. Kennedy, you are quite the charmer." Veronica said as she sat up and Daniel laughed a little.

"I always take care of my girl." He said with a grin as he pushed the tray closer to Ronnie and moved forward as well.

"Last night was out of this world." He whispered as he leaned his face closer to hers.

"You were amazing." Ronnie whispered back.

"You were amazing as well. I love you." Danny told her before pulling her into a kiss.

 **(WITH DIANA AND ARCHIE || EVERGREEN MANOR)**

Archie was quietly trying to put on his clothes when Diana woke up.

"Leaving without saying goodbye? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were in it for the sex, Arch." Diana teased him as he turned and approached the bed and sat down on the edge, leaning forward to kiss Diana who had sat up.

"I was trying not to wake you. My dad texted me asking to meet at Pop's for breakfast." Archie explained once he pulled away.

"Which is what you guys do when he wants to talk to you about something serious, I know." Diana continued with a smile.

"Probably me staying out all night." Archie said with a small laugh.

"Ooooo, Archie's in trouble." Diana teased with a giggle as Archie leaned back in and kissed her, effectively shutting her up.

"Go on. I'll call you later." Diana said dazedly, once she pulled back from the kiss.

Archie laughed before standing up and gathering his stuff before leaving.

\- TIMESKIP (FEW MINUTES LATER || POP'S CHOCK'LIT SHOP) -

Archie entered the establishment and looked around for his dad.

"Hey, Cassanova. I… I ordered you the usual." Fred called out and Archie looked towards the booth his dad sat in.

"Thanks, Dad. I'm just gonna go wash my hands." He answered as he went in the direction of the bathroom.

He washed his hands as he looked at his reflection in the mirror, smiling brightly, thinking about everything that just happened and the night with Diana. Suddenly, he heard the bell ring.

"Who's in charge here? Show me where the safe is!" He heard a burly voice call out and was on instant alert.

"There is no safe." Pops answered, scared.

"You've got a safe. Show me where it is! Where's the safe, old man?" The person demanded.

"There ain't no safe."

"Show me where the safe is!" By this time, Archie had carefully walked out the bathroom and to the side where he could see someone on the counter with a mask pointing a gun at Pops.

He looked towards his dad who shook his head no, telling him not to move from his hiding place. Fred slowly stood up from the booth which caught the attention of the burglar. He jumped from the counter and pointed his gun at Fred who raised his hands out in surrender.

"Give me your wallet!" He cried out and Archie couldn't just stand there and watch as the man threatened his dad.

He ran out of his hiding place just as a gunshot when off.

* * *

 _Imagine this instant, frozen in time. People will look back at this as the exact moment that last bit of Riverdale's innocence finally died._

 _When darkness won. Marked by an act of violence, that was anything but random._

* * *

Archie knelt down and cried over his dad's bleeding form. His good hand, applying pressure on the bullet wound as Pop was urgently calling for help through his phone.

Fred looked up at Archie's tearful face as he felt himself being sucked into the darkness.

Until everything just went black.


	27. Author's Final Note

_**To all my readers,**_

 _ **I do hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I rarely finish stories but I knew in my heart that I had to see this through the end. I'm not sure if I will be writing the season 2 version when it starts airing yet. Let's hope that I get enough muse for it. Enjoy this story.**_

 _ **PS. Please don't forget to Favorite and leave a review. They mean so much to me.**_

 _ **XOXO,**_

 _ **Whisperedwish3s**_


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